Shadow of Death
by maembe13
Summary: With the nuclear destruction of New York (and the Avengers), Loki discovers he has conquered Midgard-in the worst possible way. With the help of a mortal Astrophysicist, a Wakandan princess, and an alien cat, can the trickster successfully conquer all six Infinity Stones and prevent the destruction of the universe?
1. Chapter 1: Midgardian Magic

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

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**Summary:**

_When the World Security Council succeeds in detonating a nuclear missile over Manhattan, they also succeed in wiping out the Chitauri army. Unfortunately, the civilians of New York and the entire Avenger team are casualties. When Midgard spirals into chaos he did not create, Loki graciously volunteers to restore order. __Loki was born to be a king, but he never desired the thrones of two realms both on the brink of destruction. _

_To assist him in his task, he recruits a mortal astrophysicist and an army of Winter Soldiers. Meanwhile, to assist him in his task, Loki is adopted by a certain secretive African kingdom and an extraterrestrial feline. __Can the trickster successfully conquer all six Infinity Stones and prevent the destruction of all life in the universe?_

_Please note, this tale involves extensive character death and some dark topics._

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Marvel owns all.

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**Chapter 1: Midgardian Magic**

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Loki's head split with a brain melting headache. He groaned and rubbed his temples with his blood-stained fingers. He waited another moment before he ventured to open his heavy eyelids. He blinked. Where he expected to see bright sunlight dancing off towering behemoths of concrete, glass, and metal, he instead saw nothing but a canopy of leaves silhouetted by the dark night sky.

He sat up from the hard soil beneath him and brushed three dried leaves off his armor. His entire body felt as if he had been mauled by an angered bilgesnipe-one that managed to leave him unconscious for at least half a day. He let out a string of expletives in five languages and leapt to his feet.

He could not hear the sounds of the Chitauri or their enemy Avengers in battle. This meant either a cessation to fighting had occurred or he must be very, very far away. He searched his memory, his efforts hampered by his pounding head.

The last conscious memory he maintained was one he would much rather have forgotten. The green beast's rage, while impressive and a mighty sight to behold, was an experience he would prefer never again to have the honor of being reacquainted with. This explained both his aching muscles and his period of time spent in darkness. It did not explain how he managed to wake up in a forest of trees instead of a forest of unattractive mortal architecture.

Until this moment, his strategy for the battle continued to reap the desired results. The mortal's rag-tag band of effective, if irritating, miscreants proved admirable opponents to his brainless army. He grinned in satisfaction. Yes, those self-proclaimed "Earth's mightiest heroes," those "Avengers" performed exactly as he intended. Given the proper inspiration and prodded in the correct direction, they did indeed prove useful.

Even Dr. Selvig did not require an additional mental shove to fulfill the next stage in Loki's well-laid scheme. The slight bump on the head the scientist received tentatively broke his connection to Loki's scepter and despite his injury and terror, the man maintained enough of his wits to remember how to shut off the portal with the scepter, which Loki had conveniently left within his grasp. The good doctor even went to far as to genuinely believe he had managed to design the fail-safe into the portal generator himself, a convenient lapse in his memory which would only keep Loki's intentional sabotage of the device hidden longer.

It would all play out exactly as he wished now. The scientist and the Black Widow would close the portal, thus preventing any more Chitauri from entering the portal. His brother's Midgardian posse could easily manage the lingering foes. Loki could remain "beaten" (literally and figuratively) on the smashed floor of the arrogant Midgardian prince.

It would be a day at most before he would find himself safe in a cell in Asgard, two Infinity Stones securely in the weapon's vault of the most powerful kingdom in all the Nine Realms. Thanos could not reach him or his desired Infinity Stones in Asgard. He would finally have the time and the space necessary to plot the prevention of Thanos' schemes to acquire the remaining stones. Despite his myriad of bruises and a prospect of an eternity in prison, Loki smiled to himself. His plan continued to fall into place marvelously.

His smile faltered as a blinding flash of light exploded over the city. Loki could feel a tidal wave of raw energy rushing towards him, a destructive magic so powerful it would swallow him whole if he did not escape its path.

He did not take the time to deliberate. He fled.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Loki's unease grew with his snatches of reacquired memories. That explosion had not been formed by any weapon the Chitauri wielded. Mjolnir, while nearly as powerful, did not burn with such poison.

Magic or weaponry, its source must have been the Midgardians.

Those fools, those mortal barbarians-what had they done? Had they allowed their fear to so overrule their logic that they would destroy their own subjects rather than risk the exceedingly favorable odds of defeating an invading alien army?

He only hoped the damage to the city remained minimal. A destroyed city is of no use to anyone and certainly of no use defending.

How many hours had he lain unconscious?

He would have to fix this, regather whatever tangled remnants of his plan still remained. He wrapped himself in invisibility and transported himself to his last known location on Stark Tower.

Where he found there no longer stood a tower and in its place lay a lifeless, demolished wasteland for as far as his eyes could see.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

In days long past, when Loki and Thor were not quite men but no longer boys, Thor sometimes found humor in telling Loki the most gruesome, terrifying stories he could acquire. He stoked the flames of Loki's fear and then laughed at him for his cowardice when his storytelling achieved its intended result.

One time, the brothers delayed retiring till the last watches of the night. They sat on a log in front of the fire during one of their hunting trips, sharing secrets and stories. As the fire dwindled and exhausted itself, Thor took advantage of the darkness, broken only by a single flame casting unearthly shadows, to share his latest treasure of ghastly tales.

Thor finished his last story and then excused himself for a moment, leaving Loki to marinate in the dark, eerie atmosphere spun by his storytelling. Then Thor failed to return. In the long, living silence of the forest at night, Loki's mind, full of the horrors of ghouls and Frost Giants and men without heads, suddenly heard a single stick crack. A slow, heavy rustling sound grew ever nearer and ever louder as his heart hammered against his rib cage as if it were a bird beating against a cage. A low, menacing growl sounded from the darkest corner of the undergrowth behind his back.

While old enough to have some skill with a blade, Loki was yet to reach the age to fully understand the far-reaching effects his blade could produce. When his fear melted into panic, the logic of his mind became the captive of his overactive imagination and his impulses took control of his mind. He struggled to slow his breathing as he drew out a short knife from the ankle of his boot and threw it with perfect precision in the direction of the rustling sound. His sense of sense of calm returned only as he heard the sickly thud of his knife digging into his intended target.

Thor's following cry of anger and anguish broke through the spell Loki's fear had cast on him, filling him with a completely new sense of foreboding. Had he, in his fear, inflicted a mortal wound on his brother? He ran towards the sound and found his brother rolling back and forth in the dry forest leaves, favoring an injured shoulder.

Loki exhaled a sigh of relief as he saw his knife protruding from Thor's bicep and not his heart. His fears now evaporated into irritation and shame at falling for another of Thor's exploits.

Thor cursed and pulled the knife from his shoulder, angrily throwing it at Loki's feet. He drew a healing stone from a pouch and broke it over his shoulder. As the wound mended itself, he turned towards Loki again, broad grin glistening in the candlelight.

"Congratulate me, brother, for I am twice the victor this night! Not only have I bested your courage again but Fandril must now relinquish to me his strongest hound."

Loki rose one eyebrow and stared at Thor, daring him to continue his explanation. Thor grumbled a laugh.

"I bet Fandril that if given proper encouragement, you would draw your sword even though no foe assailed you. The fool did not believe you could be pushed so far through mere words alone."

Loki's expression turned into one of anger and he threw a second knife soundly into the soft ground between Thor's legs. Loki refused to speak another word to his brother for three days and only after Thor promised never to place wagers on Loki's weaknesses again.

Three months later, Loki mastered the art of projecting illusions and it was Thor's turn to draw a blade in fear in the depths of night.

Yet the imprint of that night, that uncomfortable moment, sank deep into Loki's memories. While Thor took it all in jest, Loki knew that he could easily and unintentionally have thrown a knife into Thor's heart. Fear robbed him of his reason, his wit, his grasp of reality, and his capacity to think beyond the moment.

He resolved to never let fear best him in battle again.

Unfortunately, one glance of blue, icy flesh exposed beneath the hand of a Frost Giant in battle melted his resolve. Loki found himself, once again, blinded and recklessly throwing knives in the dark, wounding those he loved in a panicked frenzy to protect himself from both real and imagined foes.

Yet he knew this weakness, this propensity to bow to fear, was not unique to him alone. Even the mightiest of warriors, the most honorable of kings could be felled by their fears, even if those fears were later proved foundless.

Now, Loki looked upon the ruined streets of Manhattan, lined with the ashes of proof that some of the greatest of self-inflicted calamities among the Nine Realms could be perpetrated in light of such blinding fear.

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_A/N: I was watering my garden a few days ago and this story idea popped into my head. I haven't been able to shake it. Instead it's been wandering around inside my head, growing and evolving and so I decided to let it have its way and come out. I have a full outline written, all the way to the happy ending (which there will be eventually), but I cannot promise it will come together quickly. __Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the journey! Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2: Best Laid Plans

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

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**Chapter** **2: Best Laid Plans**

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Twisted, skeletal fragments of fallen towers reached towards the sky like ravens' claws. The earth still smoldered with the simmering heat of the past firestorm. He could feel it seep through his leather boots, soaking into him with its burning violence. Rock and ruined metal lay in ram shackled heaps as far as his eyes could see. Gaping expanses of the city evaporated and left a barren expanse fringed with remnants of buildings that grew in height the farther from the blast sight they stood.

Loki was no stranger to witnessing the violence of war and certainly no stranger to inflicting violence onto others in the name of the greater good (or whatever Odin, for the time, deemed the greater good). Yet the warriors of Asgard preferred to fight face-to-face with their enemies, sword-to-sword in accordance with their espoused values of honor and bravery.

The transformation of this concrete forest into a concrete desert came from the sky, by warriors who would never have to look into the eyes of their victims as they died, never have to hear their screams and last gasps for life. Most of the casualties here would not be warriors. These were civilians without hope of reaching a safe refuge before they reached their untimely ends.

Among the rubble, he could just make out glimpses of life as it had been lived: a white porcelain teapot, cracked in half; the twisted metal shell of an automobile; the charred remains of a tree; a loose, melted shoe beneath a toppled pole.

He scoffed. Not even the Chitauri would have behaved in so barbaric a manner. True, the Chitauri fought without honor and without strategy. They existed as mindless killing machines with only the target of their mothership in their collective mind-but they, at least, would have spared the earth and the waters. Even now Loki could feel the ground around him gasping with invisible poison, a dark magic that sang of slow death.

Even he attributed the mortals with more sense than this.

Loki climbed over a heap of what must have once been an impressive structure and from his vantage point could see the blue, glittering mass of the ocean, fragmented with half sunk water vessels and collapsed structures. As he turned to face towards the shores, he could see signs of living creatures. In the distance, figures busied themselves like ants, journeying to and fro through the wreckage. They paused to upturn beams and crawl under rubble, bearing their treasures with them as they moved on.

Loki delighted in chaos, but not like this. He enjoyed upsetting the old and sowing certain kinds of disorder. This was the necessary byproduct of new life, of the changing of seasons and the pulling of the tides. This was the trail of mayhem created by a curious toddler exploring his newfound freedom of movement; the upending of hard, too settled soil to make space for the planting of seeds; the collapse of a decayed ancient tree to enrich the soil for the sapling left in its wake. Even the violence of a volcanic eruption ultimately led to fertilizing the soil and birthing new lands. There was a chaos inherent to change.

He especially enjoyed the chaos sown not out of lies but out of revelations of uncomfortable facts. While he appreciated the power of illusion and deception, he knew that one well-timed truth could sow more upheaval than a hundred such lies. In forcing men to confront their own hypocrisy and empty their hearts of their well-hidden secrets, he wielded the power of truth to upset long-established norms.

There was another kind of chaos that he could not delight in: destruction for destruction's sake. This kind, as he saw unfurled around him in the leveled corpse of a city around him, was the long-sought glorious purpose of Thanos.

The Mad Titan carried himself with an ancient magic, a deep inner power the likes of which Loki had never seen. Yet he used his power to bandage over a multitude of similarly ancient wounds. The fear of facing his old wounds again drove the Mad Titan to inflict grief upon the entire universe, as if that could somehow prevent him from facing the ghosts of his past. He was single-minded in his zeal, frighteningly convinced of the justice of his cause, and unselfishly devoted to giving everything he had to see it accomplished.

Thanos sought to prevent death by causing it.

Thanos' shadow felled billions and left imprints of formerly happy times, formerly complete families, formerly peaceful realms. He left utter chaos and destruction in his wake.

Most unsettling of all, Loki saw in Thanos a reflection of himself, of what he could become, of what he had already turned towards before he fell. Legions of Jotunheim had suffered under the justice of Loki's pain. He had delighted in their deaths and felt he was bringing rightness to the universe, fixing the great fault of their existence, correcting the balance… Loki now looked in horror on his own soul, the lies he wore more closely than his own skin.

Like a mighty stallion driven into submission by a small bit in its mouth, controlled by the whims of another, Loki's fate of late seemed dominated by external powers beyond his control. Fears once acquiesced to have a tendency not to diminish, but to grow into ever increasing heights of impossibility and ravenous blindness. Even as he lied to himself and spoke of his own rationality and justification for his actions, he knew he had allowed his fear, his insecurity, and his anger to drive him into a wild gallop through circumstances, heedless of his consequences.

Till one day he found himself chained to a barren asteroid and forced to kneel before the follies of the Mad Titan. When he fell from the Bifrost, Loki thought he had experienced true misery. Then he fell into the endless cycle of death and destruction that Thanos feasted upon and Loki recanted all he had complained of before. He wished in vain he could return to complaining about petty jealousies and sibling rivalries instead. Even if all of Asgard now despised him and spat in his face, he would embrace their revulsion a thousand times over Thanos' accolades.

Loki vowed that if he ever escaped from the hellhole he found himself in, he would no longer be bound by fear, imprisoned by past hurts, and living as a reflection of Thanos. Death would not be in his shadow if, he could at all avoid it.

Yet Thanos would not let him go and instead sought to twist and shape and bend him into a shape more useful to Thanos' self-endowed "glorious" purpose. It was not the first time Loki found himself being so formed and bent to fit the purposes of another. He had long since learned to master the art of conforming in appearance only. He buried his rebellion deep within himself, biding his time until he could quietly sabotage his potter's hands.

After Thanos tired of using the mind stone to pry his secrets from his brain (as if they were nothing but ripe apples, his for the taking), and after Thanos tired of shaping Loki into his image using the broad end of a stick, he shifted tactics and dangled a carrot instead. Thanos was no fool. Unending years of battle taught the Mad Titan that the fiercest of warriors were those who had been wounded by war. Fear and haunted pasts could be used to corrupt even the most noble of morals.

Thanos knew that after experiencing the intrusion of the mind stone, Loki would rather do anything than experience any further mental ravishing. After witnessing the decimation of beings on planet after planet, Loki would prefer to be the one to dispense such violence than to receive it. Season it all with a taste of revenge, some balm for a wounded pride, and the empty promises of autonomy and power for the being so long imbued with powerlessness, and Loki would be as malleable as a newborn kitten.

While Loki may act the wounded fool, the vengeful son, the greedy and envious brother, he, also, was no fool. He knew intimately the power of being underestimated. Under his mask, he could control his own projected illusion and fight the real battles from deep within, as he had always done. The moment he found himself free of the constant mental ravishing of the mind stone, he set about to plotting and scheming on his own, attempting to remaster some of his former patience, and watching from the shadows.

He must stop Thanos. But to stop Thanos, he must no longer be tethered to him. To gain freedom from Thanos, he must either escape (impossible) or be released. To be released, Thanos must be assured his loyalty and compliance.

An unfortunate byproduct of the mind stone and Thanos' magic was that Thanos could see him wherever or however far he traveled. His actions, his words would be laid bare before the Mad Titan, even if he could no longer drill beneath the surface into his innermost thoughts. But how he could simultaneously appear to be fighting for Thanos while in reality fighting against him was a tightrope Loki could much too easily fail at. The stakes were too high for failing. His illusion must be perfect.

He must not slip.

So without hesitation, Loki accepted the ploy of the conquest of Midgard in exchange for the retrieval of the Tesseract…a second infinity stone…with the power to move Thanos and his legions across the galaxies in the blink of an eye.

It must not happen.

Thanos now sought the means to accomplish his "glorious purpose" once and for all time. If, (no, knowing the might and determination of Thanos as he now did, Loki knew it was a "when" and not an "if") when Thanos succeeded in gathering all six Infinity Stones to himself, he would become unstoppable.

This must not happen.

As he researched thousands of years of the conflicted, divided, bloody history of the insignificant realm, Loki could see there were only three possible ways this scheme would end: either he would conquer Midgard, he would lose, or he would die. While his third option provided the easiest means of escape, he also, since infancy, had proven to be an interminable failure at accomplishing it. That left two other possible options.

He much preferred winning.

He could have easily conquered all of Midgard if he actually wanted to. It would have been as simple as stealing a coin from a blind beggar's dish. All he needed to do was spread a fervent dose of mistrust and fear, seasoned with a slight dash of pride and greed, on the largest of world powers. Then set them to fight each other. Their proxy wars against each other would bring all the smaller nations into alignment with the more powerful. Install a puppet leader over the final victor and he could rule all of Midgard without the mortals even learning the identity of who pulled the strings of their puppet.

And use enough oil, gold, technology, and propaganda, and he may even have been successful in his conquests without any major destruction of cities and infrastructure. The colonization of the mind is much cleaner and more powerful than that achieved through brute force. It would not have taken long-maybe a hundred years. But Loki did not have even so small a time frame as a hundred years. He didn't get to create the plan, he simply got to choose the details for a plan bestowed upon him by another.

He remained stuck in Thanos' shadow.

Loki knew that Thanos never planned for him to win. The Mad Titan merely dangled the elusive prospect before his nose to ensure his willing cooperation. Thanos' goal was to achieve the Tesseract as quickly as possible, while shielding his participation from the watchful eyes of the other realms. Loki provided the convenient smoke and mirrors for Thanos to hide behind.

So, Loki would lose.

A brilliant show of power could never unite the disparate nations of Midgard voluntarily under one ruler. Thanos wanted the mess, the noise, the distraction, and the fearmongering. The endgame was and would always be death.

Loki chose his targets carefully-enough violence to communicate the severity of the threat and convincing Thanos of his genuineness and compliance, but not in locations which would cause any long-lasting repercussions. He would try to encourage the mortals to band together to defeat him. Maybe then they could have a chance against Thanos. He could try to gain Asgard's ire, so perhaps they would send aid to the neglected realm and provide safe-keeping for the dangerous relics so foolishly wielded by the unwitting mortals.

Germany, with its unhealed wounds from a recently lost war, of course would never succumb to the spouted threats of another would-be conqueror. They would fight fiercely, create noise, and not comply.

New York City, while a mighty city, a center of commerce and power, was not a head of state. If he chose a less important city, Thanos would have doubts (and so would Midgardians) of his capacity, but if he chose a more important government center, the chaos created could have further ramifications. If, by some miracle, New York City fell to him, it would prove of more symbolic than practical use and the rest of the world would remain unconquered-including the arguably more strategic cities of Asia.

And the Americans-with their obsession with freedom, their memorial to liberty, their self-proclaimed goal of independence-an attack on them with threats against their dearest held value would be a spectacle indeed, with enough irony to even slightly warm Loki's heart to the odious plan. He needed them to feel slighted and declare battle against him. He needed them to shout and rage in their indignation. He did not need them to declare battle against their own people. They were supposed to fight his army, not aid in their own destruction.

Yes, he understood the power of fear in the formation of death. But how easily these mortals feared! Had they so little faith in their own capacity to hold back their attackers? Had they so little hope in their "mightiest of heroes"?

He could see remnants of charred Chitauri warriors intertwined with those of mortals, sharing in a common death in which neither side came out the victor but all must call it a loss. He now stood at the scene of battle with the entirety of his earth-bound army lost, his portal generator destroyed, and even those who created his portal vanquished. What had become of the Tesseract and his scepter? Could Infinity Stones be destroyed?

Loki kept a tight hold on his cloak of invisibility and made his way towards the last location he had seen the Stones. He began to sweep the region with his magic, searching for the tell-tale hum of power that would call to him even beneath this mass grave.

He stopped in front of a still-standing brick wall. There, he could see the ghostly shadow of a woman and child, hands entwined. No living body cast those shadows, though the heaps of remains at their base spoke of their fate. These were indeed shadows of death, long outliving the last moments of those lost souls before they reached Valhalla.

At this thought, his heart sank. Had any of these "mightiest of heroes" survived such a blast? Yes, they were strong, but strong enough to withstand this? Or had they, also, become shadows, forever enshrined in the rubble of a ruined city, memorials to mortal fragility in the face of adversity?

He froze midstep before he could climb down another ruined street.

What fate had befallen Thor?

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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_A/N: __ I researched the impact of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for descriptions on impact. These attacks killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people. In Hiroshima, nearly 5 square miles of city was destroyed along with 70% of the city and 30% of the population. Current nuclear technology (i.e. the hydrogen bomb) is estimated to be 100 to 1000 times more effective than the bombs dropped during WWII. _

_To compare, Manhattan alone is about 22 square miles with a population over a million and a half. I'll let you do the math on that one._

_You can look up nuclear shadows (the shadows of the woman and child in the story) to see real life nuclear shadows images captured in Japan. _

_To prepare you for where this story is going, with the premise that the atomic bomb was detonated over New York, this means the following Marvel characters are/will be no longer in existence:_

_All of the original Avengers band (more on the logic behind this later) and by removing them now, we will no longer gain Vision, Falcon, the Scarlett Witch, or Quicksilver (no Tony Stark, no Ultron…no Sokovia, no twins, etc.)_

_Spiderman (Brooklyn), Dr. Strange and the Ancient One (also in New York during the invasion)_

_This means that Age of Ultron, Winter Soldier, Civil War, Iron Man 3, Dr. Strange, and Spiderman movies can't happen._

_I've had some reviewers note that it's possible Dr. Strange or Peter Parker survived by being on vacation or something. I'll let your creative minds figure out their life paths from this point on, but for the purposes of this story, their existence (or lack thereof) will not be important. The Ancient One, however, may have prepared for what she knew was coming. ;)_

_That's enough explanation for now. _


	3. Chapter 3: Mjolnir

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

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**Chapter 3: Mjolnir**

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It was the rain that woke him first. _Pit, pat, pit, pat_ on his nose and on his clenched hand. It made a slight metallic twang as it bounced off the silver object he lay wrapped around.

"Thor, your mood suits me ill. Stop this incessant downpour," Loki said out loud. When the rain refused to stop and his brother remained silent, he groaned. He opened one eye, then the other, and found grey ocean mist swirling around him. How long had he slept this time? His bones and his head still ached terribly.

He watched the rain as it fell from the grey clouds above him onto the grey pavement around him. Did not these mortals build with colors other than grey?

He stretched and turned his head inwards. He found he had fallen asleep in a fetal position, curled around something hard and metal. He rubbed his eyes and found himself staring at Mjolnir.

Ah, that was it! Sometime earlier, he had paused his search for traces of the magic of the Infinity Gems when he felt the power of Thor's hammer buried beneath a collapsed structure. He wanted to find Thor and Thor would want to find Mjolnir. If Loki stayed with Mjolnir, he would find his brother _(not-brother)._

Or so he told himself as he lay down by the hammer, rested his weary head, and drifted off to sleep.

Loki could not stay sleeping next to Mjolnir forever. He would need to come up with an alternate plan.

He debated leaving the irritating and traitorous beast of a weapon where he found it. _ (How dare it call him unworthy.)_

Still, Thor would want his hammer and Mjolnir could always find Thor, even if Loki took it with him. He used his magic to slip the hammer in his space-between-spaces and carried it the only way he could.

He reached for his magic again and let it flow into the spaces around him. He felt as far as he could reach, searching for that familiar hum of the Tesseract. From this region, hardest hit by the mortal weapon, it was as if the city had simply been extinguished. He could not find traces of even a live cat or oversized rodent.

He clambered for miles, searching above and below ground with his magic.

_There. He could feel a slight something. _

Loki forced a collapsed metal frame to levitate and pass behind him. He then lifted boulders and shoved charred bits of former buildings out of his way.

_Deeper, deeper. _

Under a pile of steel beams, he found his scepter, still glowing faintly blue in its dark hiding space. The metal had slightly melted and the point was slightly twisted, but the stone remained intact.

He was not sure if he felt more relieved or disappointed.

Nightfall and the following dawn found him still searching the wreckage. He found traces of the portal generator, but only the smallest of fragments remained-still tasting faintly of the power of the Tesseract. He managed to find an intact Chitauri blaster and the circular shield belonging to the man of stars and ice. But no Tesseract.

And Thor had yet to come for Mjolnir.

Loki decided he would continue searching for the Tesseract, but not until after he gathered more information about the current status of his mission and his adversaries. This was information he could not find from the scene of the battle. He would need to seek out places far from here.

Oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

A few miles outside of Newark, Loki found life continuing on without any physical scars of battle on the buildings, roads, and people. He found cars honking at trucks, people walking their dogs, and restaurants with blinking "open" signs in their windows.

He dressed himself in the disguise of a faceless, nameless mortal in a green sweater and black dress pants and ducked into a small roadside tavern. He knew he could find access to news and television in such an establishment (and he wouldn't mind a drink. How long had it been since he last ate?).

The tavern stayed eerily silent. It was nearly empty, save for three other patrons scattered across the dimly lit room. The bartender and waitress barely spoke as they went through their tasks automatically, their eyes both rimmed with red, a stray tear slipping down the woman's face from time-to-time as she clattered a dish or counted currency.

How many people must have died in such a populous city? The loss of blood would no doubt reverberate across the globe from one end to the other.

"This is the first night we've been open since, well, you know," the bartender told an old, grizzled man in response to his inquiry. "We've gotta keep going. Heavens knows how long it will take to get our supply chains figured out, but at least we can give some of these poor folk a place to come to, get their minds off it all, you know. Everyone's all shook up."

The white-bearded man gave a half-hearted response. He slugged at a large tankard of amber liquid which left remnants of frost on his long mustache and turned his eyes towards one of the many glowing televisions lining the corners.

Loki sat by himself in the smoke-filled room on a tall stool, eyes transfixed on the televisions. The TV's low volume poured a steady stream of meager information.

"It is estimated that two million people were instantly killed in the nuclear blast that rocked Manhattan and Brooklyn four days ago. At least another million may have died in the 24 hours following the blast. Current statistics on the number of wounded are inconclusive. Rescue workers, medical professionals, and hospitals have been overwhelmed in all states surrounding New York as they struggle to provide aid for those injured and displaced. The White House Press Secretary has promised a full report of the situation tonight at 6pm."

The screens flashed with pictures of thousands of white healing tents overflowing with writhing, crying, screaming people. There were interviews with warriors who sought to provide aid and rescue from the flames and rubble. There were debates over why and who had initiated the weapon they called a nuclear missile.

New information waned as quickly as his bottles of weak Midgardian ale. Loki would need to return in a few hours to hear what flimsy excuse was concocted to justify the actions taken in New York. He had no doubt he would hear elaborate blame-shifting, mighty words of praise for the valor of the deceased, and false assurances of full control over the situation.

They may even declare it a victory. With the Chitauri forces decimated, they could proclaim their mighty defeat over the invading foes. All citizens of Midgard could be assured of their safety once again.

Loki would need to proceed carefully in order to spin his apparent "loss" to his advantage. He did not doubt Thanos' knowledge of the loss of his army would bring retribution. However, without access to the Tesseract or a portal, Thanos' vengeance would be anything but swift. In the meantime, Loki would return to searching through the rubble.

Thor, the mighty "God of Thunder," could withstand anything the mortals directed against him. Thor must have returned to Asgard to discuss the situation with the All-Father. Perhaps he simply traveled to speak with the rulers of these mortals and aid in their recovery efforts. More likely, Thor went to find his mortal woman and bask in the revels of victory.

_(Without Mjolnir?)_

Thor would come in time and till then, Loki would continue searching for the Tesseract.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you for reading! All reviews are much appreciated. :)_


	4. Chapter 4: Fallout

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Fallout**

* * *

Director Fury ended his call with the World Security Council with a resounding punch of a button. He would have preferred to punch a hole through the top of the table, but had to satisfy himself with clenching has fingernails deeper into his fists instead. He called for Maria Hill and, a moment later, the pristine, unflustered agent entered into the silent conference room.

"You called for me, sir?" She asked. She flipped the switch on the wall to turn on the lights, bathing the room in a bright florescent glow.

Director Fury, scowl deeply ingrained into his face, beckoned for her to have a seat. He rose and began to pace the room, black trench coat trailing behind him as he turned to pace the opposite direction again and again. Finally, he stopped and turned to face her. His boots made a scuffling sound as he scraped them to a stop.

"Where the hell did we go wrong, Agent?" he said, leveling her with an angry gaze.

"Director?" she asked, sensing he did not actually expect an answer from her.

"I stopped one bird myself…Stark went after the other missile after it was launched and what did those sons of bitches do? They launched a third jet from an 'undisclosed' location without informing me or anybody else. Stark managed to send that nuke straight through the wormhole towards those bastards. Romanoff had the means to close the portal in her hands."

"Sir?" Maria Hill asked, sensing a maelstrom of conflicting emotions underneath Fury's words.

"We were going to win," he said. "We had _already_ won. Thirty seconds later, they blew it all to hell. The lives of millions were spilled for nothing other than some trigger-happy suits in their ivory towers who wanted to feel like they still had some element of control."

Agent Hill sighed and watched Fury pace the length of the tiny room. He paced as if his frenetic actions alone could fix what had happened.

"No one's willing to say they made a mistake. Tell me, agent, how's a man to sleep at night after something like that happens on his watch?"

She shook her dark head and stayed silent. She knew he sometimes simply needed a safe sounding board for his monologues and her silence (and her security clearance) often made her an ideal choice.

"The worst part is I sent our best team in there and didn't even have the chance to get them out. They were the best earth's got and now what do we got? Who's gonna be around for the next time…cause there will be a next time and who will we call then?"

He ended in a huff. Agent Hill ventured to change his train of thought, knowing what she had to say probably wouldn't improve his spirits.

"Sir, I have received the latest report from our agents on ground zero."

"Yeah? Please tell me they have some good news for me this time."

She shook her head and shuffled through some papers in a blank manila folder.

"I'm afraid not, sir. As you know, we've already confirmed the deaths of Agents Barton and Romanoff and the scientist, Erik Selvig. We can also now confirm the deaths of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark…there is also some, ummm, strong evidence that Dr. Banner is among the deceased."

Fury swore loudly. He slammed his partially gloved hands against the impeccably polished conference table.

"And the other aliens?" he asked.

"Well, the invading army and their giant whale…shark…dinosaur…thingies are completely destroyed. They seem to have been just as susceptible to a nuclear attack as humans."

"You know that's not the aliens I'm referring to."

She nodded.

"Yes, sir. And, we have had three different sightings of Thor since the attack."

"Thor was last seen fighting at ground zero directly before the attack. You are telling me he managed to somehow to walk away undamaged from a nuclear attack?"

"Yes, sir. He was first sighted digging through sectors 5, 67, and 92 of the recovery operations three days ago. He did not specify what he was digging for. Two days ago, he was seen laying flowers at one of the large memorial sights that have sprung up around the blast zone. And today, he turned up at a hospital overflow tent and gave the nurses on call a few barrels of a liquid he said would help 'quench the internal fires' of the patients and then disappeared. They were skeptical at first but gave it some of the patients with the worst Acute Radiation Syndrome who were unlikely to survive. More than 90% showed immediate improvement. They have taken samples to some of the nearby universities for tests."

"Where is he now?"

"No one knows. He turns up out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly."

Fury nodded thoughtfully, processing the information. He paused his pacing to turn towards her again and fixed his one stern eye on her.

"And the other one?"

"No one has heard anything from Loki since the attack. We don't know if he's dead or alive."

"I don't know which situation would be worse-finding him dead or alive. I don't exactly want the blood of an alien prince on the hands of earth. And I'd rather not find out what an angry, vengeful, bomb-proof God of Thunder looks like…but I'd also rather not have to deal with another attempt at world domination anytime soon either. Any sign of the Tesseract?"

"No, sir. Agents are still looking."

"Thank you, Hill," he said in that tone of voice he always used when she was being dismissed. She stood to leave and paused at the door.

"Sir, you weren't the one that ordered those jets. It's not your fault," she said.

"No, but I am the one that ordered my team to be there and that is on me," he said, his back facing her and his voice gruff with regret. "Hill, call their next of kin, if they have any. We'll have a memorial service in three days. Get your people making arrangements immediately."

"Yes, sir," she said and shut the door behind her, leaving Fury to his prospect of another long, sleepless night.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

The president of the United States gave a rousing speech to the nation that evening. He celebrated the defeat of the alien attackers. He declared all the noble citizens of New York City martyrs and heroes who sacrificed their blood and property for the benefit of the rest of the world.

Loki would have been amused, but he missed the speech. Actually, he missed the next few days of speeches without even noticing they time slip by him.

"France has already begun work on a replacement for our destroyed Statue of Liberty. Japanese school children have committed to sending one paper crane for every lost life. Origami cranes are being tied to fence posts and tree branches across the city in a show of solidarity and peace. The European Union is sending a contingent of doctors and medical supplies to assist with the monumental task of treating the wounded. Architects around the U.S. have formed a coalition to redesign the city as soon as it is cleared to rebuild," news anchors around the country told the shell-shocked viewing audience.

Televisions showed the world images of the glowing candles that created rivers and words and pictures across the darkened landscape during the long nights. Piles of flowers, photographs, and posters lined all empty spaces, walls, and still-standing edges of buildings that civilians were allowed entry to.

Loki found he could not be bothered.

He most certainly missed the news report which accredited the sudden collapse of three previously standing buildings located within the blast zone. The reporters claimed "damaged structural integrity." It was as good an excuse as any. No one could see the invisible being who, in a fit of furious rage, pulled down the skyscrapers to their very foundations.

This same invisible being who, no longer cloaked in invisibility, sat on the deserted rocky beach of an isolated island in Newfoundland and stared into the dark waves of the frigid ocean.

His eyes followed the path of a wooden rowboat filled to the brim with flowers. He pulled a bow and arrow out of his space-between-spaces. He carefully checked both before he wrapped an oil-dipped cloth around the arrow's point and secured it. He lit it on fire with a snap of his fingers, pulled the bow taut, and released.

The golden, flaming arrow pierced through the darkness like a shooting star, and fell upon the wooden boat. The boat exploded into flames, pulling Loki's eyes to the golden light dancing off the silver Asgardian armor it carried. He watched the way the flames licked through the tattered red cape which covered the broken body beneath.

_Cursed, useless armor. It failed, as he had failed. _

The boat drifted further and further out to sea, pushed by the white-capped waves. It grew smaller and smaller until it existed as only a tiny pinprick of light on the horizon, like another star trapped in the canopy of the waters. When at last it vanished, he wished with all his might he could force it to come back again.

It shouldn't have been here. It should have been on the beautiful waters of Asgard with all the people in attendance to honor their beloved prince. It should have been the finest of boats with the richest of garments.

Then again, it shouldn't have happened at all.

Overcome by his anger again, Loki pulled rocks from the side of the sea and threw them with all his strength into the ocean. He shouted at the rocks as he threw them in the direction of the now vanished boat.

"You idiot! You son of a rabid ice hound! You fool! How could you?"

He picked up a large boulder and smashed it against another rocky outcropping, breaking it into pieces.

"For what? Midgard-this black hole of a realm? I would burn this entire realm to ash myself if it would avenge your death. May their lands stay as cursed as the rocks of Svartalfheim for their folly!"

He continued to rage until late in the night when, finally overcome, he collapsed on a rocky ledge. He covered himself with his shredded, dirty, green cloak, and wept into his hands.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	5. Chapter 5: Memorial

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Memorial**

* * *

"We are here today to remember a band of heroes who selflessly gave their lives to protect the safety of our entire world," Nick Fury said from a podium. He wore his nicest suit, the one he only wore to funerals_ (he really hated funerals…almost as much as he hated this suit)_. He clutched the sides of the podium harder and looked out over the ballroom of the glittering Newark hotel. A few hundred soggy eyes stared back at him, waiting for him to keep speaking. He swallowed deeply before continuing.

"You are here because you lost more than a hero. You lost a spouse, a parent, a friend. While the rest of the world looked on them for what they could do for them, you looked on them for who they were as people, as individuals. To you, they were not only Captain America or Iron Man, they were Steve or Tony. It is you who has paid the highest price for their sacrifice.

"The world has lost a band of gifted heroes, but their deaths were not in vain. They will always be remembered for their sacrifice and will remain a symbol of hope to all."

A handful of key speakers followed after him, though he didn't hear a word they said. He couldn't. Not when he could hear the Barton children weeping from the corner of the room. He would have to greet every single one of these people and look them in the eye and repeat his deepest apologies and thanks. He'd rather stay locked in the prison cell on the helicarrier with the Hulk.

His assistants proved themselves worthy of their salaries in their exquisite luncheon spread and ample flows of alcohol. Pictures of the deceased lined a table near the back of the room lined with candles and flowers and even a handful of action figures (which Fury found in poor taste, but he thought Stark would have approved).

A few handfuls of uncles and mothers and cousins and neighbors shared stories and tears around the banquet hall. Pepper Potts, Colonel James Rhodes, and Jane Foster sat in solemn silence on a couch next to each other, each with a flute of champagne in their hands. A scattering of teary agents from SHIELD sat with an aged Peggy Carter and her oldest son. Elizabeth Ross made a small appearance on the arm of her fiancé before silently vanishing again.

There should have been more-more family, more friends, but one of the unavoidable repercussions of this kind of work was that there usually wasn't.

The servers had just begun handing out plates of desserts when the hall doors flew open with a resounding bang. The room fell silent and all eyes turned to see the towering figure in a flowing crimson cape march into the room as if entering the scene of another battle. He walked with a glowering, steadfast expression on his face, blonde hair flowing behind him, straight up to where Fury stood.

"I would have words with you, son of Fury," he said in a tone meant to be a whisper but loud enough for the entire room to easily hear.

"Thor, I am glad to see you alive," Fury responded, searching Thor's face for hints on the best way to proceed but not finding any.

"No thanks to your cowardly mortal weaponry," Thor responded, a venomous undertone in his voice.

Fury could tell this would not be a friendly visit. He gestured for Thor to follow and pulled him into the small storage room adjoining the banquet hall.

"Before you speak, I want to apologize for what happened here," Fury began. It was true. He wanted to appease the thunder god before he became too "thunderous," but he also wanted to apologize because it was deserved. "We had some people who got scared and they made the wrong call and a lot of people died because of it. You and the team, they were there doing the right thing and you suffered for it and, for that, I'm sorry. I tried to stop it but I failed you and I failed the rest of the Avengers and I failed the people of New York. I wish I could apologize to the rest, but since you seem to be the only one who managed to survive, I'm just glad I get to say it to you."

Fury could still see the storm clouds brewing in Thor's eyes but Thor only nodded and clenched and unclenched his hands with a nervous tension that Fury had never seem him have before.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Fury prompted after the silence lingered with a gathering intensity.

"I would know who has killed my brother. I will avenge his death."

"You are certain he's dead?"

"Yes."

Fury nodded (once again preferring a tête-à-tête with the Hulk over this moment). "I am sorry for your loss."

"Are you, son of Fury? Were you not one of the ones who wished him ill?" Thor spat.

Fury held both of his hands up in a symbol of surrender. "You are upset. I understand that. You have every right to be. A lot of people are. But more deaths will not bring him back."

"Who killed my brother?"

"There's not one person. It was a council of representatives from different countries and governments around the world. They made the decision together. It was the wrong decision, but it was a joint decision."

"You tire me with your games, Director. Who killed my brother?"

"I am not at liberty to tell you," Fury responded, fully expecting an intimate acquaintance with Thor's fist or hammer to follow. It did but instead of Fury's jaw, it smashed through the wall behind him. Thor spun around and he swept out of the storage room.

Fury followed, wondering just how they could contain the Asgardian in case he felt inclined to stir up problems. He beckoned for Agent Hill and, as she approached, he noticed that Thor had stopped his beeline for the center of the room. The towering man now shrank in on himself as a petite, black-clad woman herded him into a corner.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

From a very young age, Loki had learned to create mischief by masquerading as others, especially his brother. He found he could just as easily get his brother out of trouble as he could get him into trouble. Thor had been the recipient of many a stern lecture after getting "caught" stealing tarts or overturning bottles of ink. He silently received his punishment each time, as Loki watched in glee. He found a special delight when his pretenses were never caught. (_To this day, Freya still believes it was Thor who kissed her.)_

He also found his illusions to be a useful way of siphoning information out of what would otherwise be unwilling participants. Now, Loki needed information and these mortals trusted Thor. _(The one who should still be living…not him.)_

His ability to impersonate others was too easily muddled by strong emotion. In past times, he could regulate and control himself, keep is illusions perfect despite harrowing circumstances. But now, he fought to maintain the correct mannerisms as his anger grew and he knew if he could not control himself, he would blast a hole through the banquet hall in the middle of their funeral service. He would not do such a disservice to his brother's allies.

He turned to leave when he found his path blocked by a tiny woman in a black dress.

He knew this one. Thor's woman _(and he was currently wearing Thor's visage)_. He groaned internally and tried to figure out the best escape. He failed.

The woman's brown eyes were red rimmed with heavy sorrow. She looked upon him as if seeing the sun for the first time and before he could anticipate her intentions, she threw her arms around him in an emotional embrace.

"Thor! You're alive! We all thought you had died. I can't believe it! I am just so relieved. I mean, it's all been awful and, well, you know about Erik…but I thought you too and it was just too much and now, I'm just so happy to see you again!"

Loki froze….

At any other time, Loki would have taken full advantage of his current circumstances. Allow the woman to believe him Thor and either encourage her behaviors or behave as such a heartless cur that she spat in Thor's face the next time she saw him. Either way, the look on Thor's face would be well worth the efforts. He'd roar and storm and threaten and they'd tussle and then see Thor behaving liked a whipped slave to regain the favor of his ladylove.

But somehow it seemed wrong to even think of now. He could not jest with a warrior in Valhalla. He could not play with hopes and heart of such a maid.

When the woman began to reach for his face in an attempt to pull his lips to hers, he nearly panicked. He would not kiss Thor's maiden and so dishonor his brother's memory. He tried to gently break free but found her still in pursuit. She didn't acknowledge his retreat at all but instead filled the space between them with words.

A copious amount of words.

"They sent me to Norway when they found out about your brother-SHIELD did, I mean. The university told me I'd been hired for a prestigious research position but then when I got there, I found out it was all an elaborate scheme to 'protect me,' otherwise known as locking me up for my own protection and keeping me out of trouble. They knew I would have come straight for New York first thing. I mean, live wormholes being made right in front of me? Do you know how much data I could have gathered? Oh, then I saw you were here too and I would have come just to see you. But, I guess it's better that I didn't come cause, well, you know."

The woman looked at him again, her brown eyes piercing into his as if she were a skilled surgeon removing secrets from deep within his mind.

"Are you OK?"

Loki looked away from her gaze again, as cowardly as a spineless harrow slug, and stared at the floor.

"Where's your brother?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. She drew closer to him and placed a hand on his arm.

He shook his head. She blew out a long breath and fell silent. She wrapped both her arms around his waist and pulled him into an embrace. He could feel the cracks and fissures within him about the burst and he refused to give way, not here, not like this, not with her. He grew rigid and pulled back.

"I must go," he said shortly.

"When will I see you again?" she asked as he moved to escape.

"I know not."

"Here," she said, pulling a small rectangular object from her purse. "This has my phone number and email address on it. Just in case, you know, if you ever want to talk, I'm here." She gave him a small smile. "I've lost people too and, well, we all need a friend sometimes."

He flung it as quickly as he could into his hiding space and fled.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	6. Chapter 6: Conquest

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Conquest**

* * *

Loki sat among the rocks of the isolated Newfoundland coast and listened to the cries of the grey and white seabirds above him. He could not tear his eyes from the angry breakers crashing upon the stoic grey rocks around him. They roared and foamed and stormed but the rocks did not move. The moods of the ocean could change in an instant but the rocks shifted so imperceptibly that even a hundred years might leave them unchanged.

He could see the remnants of the rocks he smashed into fragments lying scattered on the beach. Those rocks should still be standing-strong and unmoved. He destroyed them and for what? To provide an outlet for his anger? To fix one bad decision with another?

He felt so aimless now, as if he were an unmoored boat upon the seas being batted to and fro by the tides and the wind. He must plan, he must act, but he felt suddenly sluggish-as if his thoughts were mired in thick honey. He could not think beyond the waves.

The tide came in and returned to the depths. The seabirds cried. The sun and moon changed guards.

Still, Loki sat.

Oooooooooooooo

* * *

Another dawn, another day. He could not be bothered to keep track of how many he'd spent on this beach. The peach and gold rays danced off of the engravings around the head of Mjolnir. He watched the shadow of the hammer spread and lengthen away from his feet and towards the surf.

"I can fix this," he whispered, as if Mjolnir could hear him. He'd taken to speaking to the hammer as if it were a sentient being these last few days. Mjolnir proved an attentive listener, even when he swore and raged at it. It seemed to even understand his silence. "I swear to you, I will find a way to fix this."

He stood and brushed the sand off his dark trousers and flicked his hand to return Mjolnir to his store. He took a deep breath of the salted, cold morning air and wrapped his cloak around him more firmly. He felt around the beach for that slight fissure in space he had grown so familiar with. He stepped into it and felt the beach vanish. He pushed his way through the faded darkness and arrived a few miles outside of his intended destination.

He did not rejoice in the overwhelming scent of concrete and car exhaust that hit him as he stepped out of the invisible pathway. The burbling chaos of mortal thoroughfare proved a rude awakening after so many days drenched in solitude and silence. He grimaced and, for a moment, considered procrastinating his hitherto unfruitful search for a few more sunrises.

But he could not let anyone else find it first.

He would find the Tesseract. He would avenge his brother. Then he would destroy Thanos.

He could do this. He had to.

As he neared the barren expanse created by the explosion, he found the temporary dwellings of the healers now missing. Swarms of bustling healers no longer tended to the writhing, miserable masses of victims. Mortal warriors and officials seemed to have long since abandoned their efforts of recovering survivors. Now, they turned to clearing rubble, piling the dead, and determining which buildings were beyond salvaging.

Men in yellow helmets and bright vests meandered throw the broken streets with tools and machines which they used to relocate fallen walls, overturn crushed buildings, and create traversable pathways through the city.

More crews came with gloved hands and white bodysuits. They dotted in and out of the wreckage carrying stretchers. They gathered what human remains they could find into a location for possible identification and proper disposal.

Loki did not envy them their tasks. It fell to the living to sort through what remained of the dead.

Loki came upon the now familiar remnants of Stark Tower. He had spent days upon days sifting through the metal and glass and concrete here and he still had not found what he sought. He sighed and sat upon a crushed and melted object that looked as if it had once been a man-sized letter "A".

He closed his eyes and focused all his mental and magical energies to search around him, seeking out that tendrils of power that belonged only to the Tesseract.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

A day later, once the road proved passable again, a large vehicle barreled through the deserted streets and stopped a few yards away from where he searched. Half a dozen men and women in black suits, dark sunglasses, and unsmiling faces emerged. He could see the tell-tale signs of hidden weapons upon their persons and he knew they were not rescue-workers or construction cleanup crews.

They spoke to each other through crackling voices on black hand-held devices and split into teams. They carried some crude Midgardian technology in their hands which they used to scan the grounds.

For days, they joined him in his search, though they did not know they searched together. His search continued in silence while theirs was accompanied by the hums and beeps of their machines, the dust of overturning rubble, and the occasional explosion as they forced their way deeper into the remains of the once mighty building.

He could only assume they sought the same prize. He would let them but he would ensure only one would be the final victor.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

"Director Fury," a middle-aged male agent spoke into a cellular device in the privacy of an abandoned alleyway. Loki smiled. He liked being right. The agent scanned the area for any other ears and, feeling secure, continued his report, ignorant of the invisible figure standing beside him. "We have discovered only the tiniest of fragments of the Cube. It appears to have exploded into an unknown number of tiny fragments, each no larger than the head of a pin. The power radiating from the fragments is minimal and it is doubtful we would have even found them if not for the infinitesimal amount of gamma radiation they still emit. We've gathered as many fragments as we've found and will transport them to the Triskelion as soon as we've finished packing them up."

"Very good, Agent Pole. Finish as fast as you can. Something is brewing and we need as many agents on hand as we can get," Fury's gruff voice sounded from the device.

"Sir?"

"Listen to the news on your way. It will be public knowledge within two hours and then all hell will break loose."

"Yes, sir."

The man slipped the silver box back into a pocket in his black suit, now smudged here and there with light dust. He exited the alleyway and rejoined his companions. They spoke in hushed tones and packed a strong, black container with the minuscule fragments they managed to glean from the rubble and extricate with long hours of diligent efforts.

They did all his work for him while he watched in smug satisfaction.

Loki crouched in the large storage facility of the vehicle, still invisible to all. The black box of Tesseract shards sat beside him. The engine of the vehicle hummed to life, reverberating through the walls and floor boards. The entire company of agents filled the black leather seats, the buzz of their conversations filling the confined spaces around them.

They began to drive. Loki silently waved his hand over the box, calling to the powers within. They were so very faint now, hardly even worth his attention, but he needed to know more. At his summons, the hundreds of tiny pieces vanished from the box and filled a jar in his invisible space between spaces. He would need time and space to investigate further-two amenities he found himself sadly lacking at the moment.

He left half of the shards in the SHIELD container. They could, again, save him some effort and uncover their own information to complement his own. He would accompany them to the facility, discover where the shards would be stored, and then search the SHIELD facility for the other information he sought.

He sank onto the hard, rough carpet and leaned his head against the vibrating metal of the vehicle's side and closed his eyes. His sleep of late, marred by unpleasant dreams, proved fleeting and he found himself growing tired.

Hours passed. Slamming doors woke him a few times as the agents stopped to acquire provisions. The strong scent of salted meat and over-preserved foods filled the vehicle and Loki covered himself with a barrier to block out the distasteful smells. He began to slip into a hazy sleep again when a bell sounded from a cellular device in the hands of a woman in front of him.

"Hey, Jim. Turn on the radio. I just got a text from HQ saying we gotta hear this," said the woman.

A transmitted voice grew in volume as an agent in the front of the car fiddled with some nobs.

"Special News Report: While the global economy has fallen into turmoil after the attack on New York, new chaos has broken out as six other countries have reported attacks in the last 24 hours. The sources and motivations of these attacks remain a mystery. They appear to have targeted the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Russia, India, and China. Overnight, each of these countries have fallen into unrest as the key civic and business leaders have been assassinated by snipers.

"The U.S. military has made a statement assuring the nation they are doing everything in their power to ensure the protection of the citizens of the United States both at home and abroad. It is recommended that you exercise extreme caution, avoid unnecessary travel at this time, and maintain a stockpile of provisions.

The President will be addressing the nation in an hour's time and encourages the citizens of the United States, and the rest of the world, not to panic."

The entire vehicle fell into rapt silence before the silence was broken by a chorus of curses.

"I guess we'll have to take a rain check on that tennis match," Agent Pole told the woman in front of Loki.

The woman swore at him in response and pulled out her phone. Her frenzied phone conversations filled the remainder of the drive.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

The vehicle's destination proved to be a looming grey fortress of a building stationed in the center of a large river. Loki recognized the urban landmarks-proving this to be the governing center for this particular polity. They parked underground and were met by a few dozen agents, all with grim faces and furrowed brows.

Loki trailed after the black box as it passed from hands to hands. It finally came to rest in a large, gleaming facility full of technological equipment and mortals in white robes, large eye coverings, and gloves. They immediately set to work cataloging the fragments and sending them through a series of machines.

He needed to conduct his own tests. He silently explored corridor after corridor of the heavily guarded fortress until he found what appeared to be barracks for the impressive force housed within. A quick scan of the quarters found one quarantined off from the others, uninhabited and awaiting repairs. He entered and found it a bit dusty, but adequate. A small cot, a washroom, a single chair, and a clothes rack were all the room contained. He lay on the bed, pulled out the Asgardian jar full of lightly glowing blue shards, and called to his magic.

oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

"Special News report: Silent killers assassinate the leadership of six more countries. Iran, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Australia have been targeted. Mass fears, protests, looting, and panic spreads as other countries wonder if they will be targeted next. A contingent of world leaders will convene in Geneva tonight to discuss the situation and decide how to return peace and security around the globe.

"Some informants suspect that alien invader, Loki of Asgard, survived the attack on New York and continues his assault on earth. This report has not been confirmed by officials."

Loki sat spellbound as he watched the news playing in the lobby of the SHIELD fortress they called the Triskelion. It was the third day of such news reports and each day filled the SHIELD agents into a greater frenzy of activity. The building, which proved to be more of a small city than a building, now swarmed with mortals. The sources of the mysterious destruction of infrastructure across the realm continued to baffle them, despite their best efforts to uncover its origins.

Loki had to admit, he was impressed with himself. Each morning he became "responsible" for the toppling of yet another series of nations. How he could orchestrate the conquest of every major power in Midgard single-handedly while remaining in a fixed location and oblivious to it all was truly an admirable feat.

He could list at least five covert Midgardian organizations he thought were exploiting the current chaos to their own benefit. Of those, only three he thought likely. Of those, only one he really thought adept enough to orchestrate such a masterful attempt at chaos.

How many more nations would it take before Midgard began to crumble? Their conquerors surely had a puppet master pulling their strings. Someone would step to the forefront with grandiose promises of order and peace and then the entire realm would willingly surrender their freedom in exchange for their security.

Within a week or two, with minimal damage to infrastructure or loss of life, someone was going to succeed in uniting the entire realm under their rule. It was clean, fast, and brilliant. Once again, someone else was doing his work for him.

He grinned to himself. They claimed Loki was conquering Midgard, and so he would allow them. SHIELD believed Loki dead, and so he would allow them. But even if he managed to unearth their puppet master and supplant him (or her) the masses would never allow Loki to rule Midgard. They would fear him, decry him, and reject him. They would never throw open their arms to welcome him as their savior. They would need a king they could trust, a king they would delight to serve. One powerful enough and virtuous enough to defeat the evil sowing chaos into their heretofore peaceful illusions of existence.

They needed Thor.

Lucky for them, Loki could be both.

And either way, Loki would be king.


	7. Chapter 7: Double Agents

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Double Agents**

* * *

Loki sat in the now dustless room he had commandeered and stared at the handful of glowing flecks spread across the cot in front of him. The report from SHIELD, unfortunately (and fortunately), supported his own conclusions. The Tesseract could not be reunited and its power could not be restored to its previously incalculable state.

He tried with every method he could think, including using the power of his scepter, but to no avail. The Tesseract remained in shards. He could not use it to transport him into the washroom, let alone to another realm.

But, now he knew: Infinity Stones could be irrevocably destroyed. Unfortunately, this meant he could not use said stone to transport him to the places he needed to travel in order to find the rest of the stones before Thanos.

He stared at his scepter and internally debated. Maintaining ownership of one Infinity Stone did provide him with an advantage against possible foes, but he would rather destroy the scepter than risk it falling into the wrong hands and being used _against _him. Still, Thanos could use it to keep track of his actions and communicate with him. However, the Titan could do little more than threaten and until Thanos arrived to reclaim it, the scepter was still in Loki's hands. He would need to ponder this further, but not today.

Instead, he let his eyes fall onto the tiny room considered lodgings on Midgard and felt as if the walls themselves were closing in on him, suffocating him with their enfolding grasp.

He was trapped on Midgard. Alone.

From Asgard, he could secretly travel to any of the other realms, but from Midgard? He cursed himself for ignoring the realm for a millennium.

He had found a secret pathway to Midgard once, nearly a thousand years ago. He emerged on top of a glacial mountain range, a bitter wind biting into his summer Asgardian clothing, and he did not bother staying long enough to discover the name of the peak. He did not have time to climb every mountain on Midgard now to discover its name.

Besides, he had no desire to find himself back on Asgard, facing the grief, disappointment, and wrath he was sure to face from his adoptive parents and the entire Kingdom. He was solely to blame for the death of their prince and he now must serve his self-imposed exile alone on this backward, barbarian realm.

It would be more convenient if he could simply create his own means of travel between realms. Even Asgard no longer had a Bifrost. At this he shuddered…how would all the realms fare against Thanos, especially Asgard, without the Bifrost? It was more than a convenient means of travel. It was trade, it was information, it was the power of Yggdrasil across the realms. Without the Tesseract, how would Asgard rebuild it?

More importantly, how could he access such a Bifrost? Could he discover a means to build his own?

Unfortunately, masterminding the conquest of an entire realm while maintaining two identities instead of one could be counterproductive to researching the location of the remaining Infinity stones_ and_ building a Bifrost. Loki could not manage all on his own. While his invisible allies proved themselves nearly unstoppable at dismantling the infrastructure of the entire planet, he would require_ some_ of Midgard to remain intact. It would do him precious little good for the realm to self-destruct entirely. This meant he would also need to uncover their nefarious plot and use it for his advantage.

But every evil plot is in need of minions and, of these, he currently found himself gravely lacking. He could simply co-opt a few using the scepter, but he loathed that nefarious evil object with all his being. He would prefer to gain allies through more stable methods, such as genuine respect, loyalty and common causes (unless that failed, then, maybe he would consider the scepter again…after all, he still preferred using the despicable relic to losing).

Perhaps he could develop two teams-those for Loki and those for Thor and then he could tap into both of their passions and skill sets to his advantage. Fortuitously for him, both teams also happened to be headquartered in the same building.

Thus Thor, God of Thunder, walked into SHIELD Headquarters asking to speak with Director Fury.

And Loki, God of Mischief, met Agent Jasper Sitwell in a dark alleyway outside of a French Deli on his way to the gym.

One of them was bound to provide useful information to his cause(s). One of them was bound to provide him with allies. He would take what he could get.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Director Fury hung up his phone and sat up a little straighter as the Asgardian prince walked into his office, his presence filling the entire office with an unsettling aura of power.

"Thor. To what do I owe the honor?" he asked coolly. He could not shake the memory of his close encounter with Thor's fist during their last tête-à-tête.

"Director Fury, I am happy to see you well," Thor said, breaking into a warm smile and clasping Fury's arm with his massive hand. Thor plopped himself down in the chair across from Fury, his large frame making the office chair appear to be built for a child. "I have come seeking information."

"I told you, I can't disclose the location of…" Fury began. Thor cut him off with a hand wave and another easy smile.

"You misunderstand me, Son of Fury," he said. "I understand your oath of secrecy and I will not pressure you to go back on your oath. I am come for other information. Tell me, what is this I hear of chaos on Midgard? I have heard tell of nations falling and attacks upon kings across the realm. Does truth undergird these rumors?"

"I am afraid so."

"Do you know the name of your enemy?"

"I'm afraid not. I have agents working around the clock, but so far, I've lost more agents than I've gained information. We've lost thirty of the most powerful countries on earth in a week and nearly a dozen agents have disappeared in the process."

"I am saddened to hear that."

"Hmmm. Thor, I don't mean to upset you, but are you certain your brother is dead?"

"Director, I, too, have heard these rumors and I can assure you that rumors they remain. Loki is no more behind these attacks than my mother. In fact, my mother would prove the more likely of the two because she still lives."

"Thor, how do you know your brother died?" Fury said, staring intently into Thor's keen eyes. Thor's eyes dropped to his hands and a wave of grief shadowed his face.

"I found his body in the rubble. The Aesir are renowned across the realms for our hardiness but even we are not impenetrable. The blast dislodged a lamppost and sent it straight through his heart. It was a dishonorable death for a prince and I am loathe to share it publicly. I had no option but to send him to the halls of our ancestors in a shameful farce of a funeral upon the cold northern waters of your realm."

"I am sorry about your brother…and that you couldn't give him a proper burial," Fury replied, attempting to force himself to feel sympathy as opposed to relief.

"I am grateful for your condolences," Thor said. "Now, I have sworn an oath to protect this realm from foes, both within and without. As I find myself remaining here, is there a way that I can prove myself an ally to your realm again?"

"You are stuck on earth?"

"Yes. The Tesseract was to be my means to return to Asgard."

"Huh. You bought a one way ticket to Earth? A bit overconfident that you could take Tesseract back with you, weren't you?"

"I have proved to underestimate a great many parts of this realm. I stand chastened. As I am here for an indefinite period of time, tell me, Son of Fury, how can I be of assistance to Midgard in your current troubles?"

ooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki's façade of Thor left Fury's office with an uncharacteristic smirk on his face. Fury, as he predicted, had accepted his offer of assistance and provide him inside information into the next possible locations under attack. In his pocket, he held a covert copy of the entire SHEILD database that only Fury had authority to access. He vanished himself, returned to his borrowed quarters, and began to read.

Oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Jasper Sitwell nearly dropped his coffee all over his gym shirt when he heard a voice call out to him from the dark corner of an alley. Loki stifled a laugh and attempted to project a menacing position over the quivering man.

"Agent Sitwell, I hear I've been conquering the world. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" Loki said. He watched as the man's eyes searched around him for an escape route. Loki could easily track him down again, but he thought it would be more entertaining to keep him from trying. Loki flicked his fingers and Agent Sitwell found he could no longer move. The man's eyes filled with terror and before he could act on his intention to scream, Loki sidled up to him and whispered into his ear.

"Don't think about it. You are both invisible and silent to the outside world."

"What do you want?" Sitwell responded with a visible gulp. "Your brother said you are dead."

"Maybe I am," Loki responded. "Would you like to test that?"

"I don't know anything," he managed to stammer out as sweat trickled down his forehead..

"Oh, but I think you do," Loki responded. "You see, I have it on very good authority that you know about a secret organization hidden within SHIELD…an organization that just so happens to be conquering Midgard in my name…and I would like to know why. It's only fair, you see. If I am to return to my original purpose of ruling Midgard, I would like to know why Hydra is working so diligently to place me on the throne."

"How do you know about…," Sitwell began and then stopped as the pieces clicked into place. "Agent Smith told you."

"Of course. My allies told me all their deepest secrets, just as you will," Loki said. He produced an illusion of his scepter and placed it against the agent's chest. It produced the intended result and the agent's lips freely poured his secrets to Loki's listening ear.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Alexander Pierce entered his office and flipped on the lights. He placed his briefcase on the side table and reached to loosen his striped tie before a noise made him pause. He turned and saw a man sitting at his desk, his feet nonchalantly on the desk, his hands clasped behind his dark-haired head.

Pierce silently pushed an alarm button he held at all times in his pocket and reached for the gun he carried in his briefcase.

The man's face broke into a grin.

"Mr. Secretary, I am so glad you've finally returned. I was beginning to grow bored. Please, don't bother with your weapon. I can assure you, I am quite bullet proof. Incidentally, I also have discovered that I am nuclear-bomb proof. Thank you for assisting me in that bit of useful information. As for your alarm system, I'm afraid I've dismantled it."

"Loki," Pierce said, his eyes glancing around his office for a possible escape or means of communicating with the guards. "You are alive."

"In the flesh."

"Why are you here?"

"I think the appropriate question, Mr. Secretary, is why are you here?"

"I do not understand."

Loki threw his feet off the desk and stood, towering over the other man, and he began to pace the office with his hands clasped behind his back. He turned and broke into a menacing grin before he continued.

"Mr. Secretary, I have it on very good authority that you and the organization under your leadership, intend to conquer Midgard. Yet, as your minions overthrow the kings of this realm, you sit here, blissfully free of the chaos sowed elsewhere. Do you intend to wait until the last moment to step into your throne or will you rule from the shadows?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I'm sure you don't. I'm convinced of your perfect ignorance. Happy for us both, there is another topic I am hoping you can provide more insight into. Tell me, Mr. Secretary, what exactly is your role on the World Security Council and why did you so influence it in its decision to kill my brother, the Prince of Asgard?"

Alexander Pierce paled and he began to back towards the door. He grabbed a vase off a counter and held it in his hands, as if he could beat off his superhuman attacker with its fragile painted porcelain.

"You have taken away both my army and my brother, Mr. Secretary. Since you are incapable of replacing the one, I propose an exchange. I will take the former as compensation for the latter."

"You must be insane," Pierce replied, finding himself blocked into a corner, still separated from the door, but unable to get past Loki.

"You would not be the first to so accuse. Now, without further ado, you have two choices. You can fulfill my orders willingly or unwillingly," Loki said.

With a blinding flash of light, he unfurled his armor and pulled the scepter out of thin air (no illusion). He pointed it towards the now cowering man as Loki grinned at him, all his armor glinting in the dim light, and reflecting the blue of the Mind Stone onto the wall.

oooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate your feedback on this story! :)_


	8. Chapter 8: Invisible King

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Invisible King**

* * *

Loki herded the man into a chair where Secretary Pierce coddled the porcelain vase as if it were a shield. He collapsed into the chair and stared at Loki, though Loki failed to distinguish the emotion beneath his aged face. Pierce's eyes stayed trained on Loki as he paced the length of the room, his hands behind his back, encouraging the silence to flame growing tension.

"You are too late," Pierce said, breaking the silence as if cracking thin ice over a pond. "Our plans are too far ahead for you to stop them."

"Do tell more, Mr. Secretary."

"I don't need to. You can look out the window and see for yourself."

Loki kept one eye trained on Alexander Pierce while he scanned the view from the top of the 20th floor of the Triskelion. The window soon captured all of his attention as he saw bursts of light interrupting the dark city-scape and heard the sound of sirens approaching. Would this Midgardian city also fall during this night?

"What have you done?" Loki asked in a whisper.

"What needed to be done. Hail Hydra," Alexander Pierce said. He pulled his gun out from the center of the vase, placed it on his temple, and pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened. Alexander Pierce's eyes grew wide and he stared at the gun and tried again. Once again, the weapon failed to fire.

"Really, Mr. Secretary? A grand suicide attempt-I did not take you to be the coward. You will not be permitted to run from the destruction your own hands have wrought," Loki said as he turned towards the man, snatched the weapon from his hands, and crumpled it into pieces in his left hand. "You tarried too long in your return here. I found myself very idle and sought to remedy my boredom by discovering all your hidden weapons before you arrived. It has proved fortuitous for both of us, especially as I am now personally responsible for preserving your pitiful life. Now, tell me, Mr. Secretary, who are the assailants below?"

Loki turned towards the window again and watched as a firefight broke out between black-clad figures and military personnel. Loki could only assume that meant the intended targets had already been reached. Chaos poured from the government buildings around them. He could see the tell-tale signs of smoke billowing in the distance where orange flames licked up the sides of one of the white fortresses guarding the centers of power of this region. Uniformed personnel chased through buildings, poured water from vehicles onto flames, and rushed to help civilians out of buildings.

Alexander Pierce pursed his lips and refused to answer him. Loki waited in silence for nearly an hour till he finally tired of waiting. He retrieved the living manifestation of the scepter from his store and bent over the elderly man. Pierce gave him a scathing look meant to inflict the damage his weapons could not cause. Loki simply smiled and placed the glowing blue point against the man's chest.

Loki smugly listened to a much looser set of lips.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

"In breaking news tonight, the U.S. economy is in shambles as the capital of the federal government and the four largest economic powers in the country were attacked two nights ago. Washington D.C., Florida, California, New York, and Texas are all struggling to return to some sense of order after the loss of their key civic, government, and business leaders. Attacks at key ports, transportation hubs, and business districts have also contributed to the chaos. Airports across the country have been closed as the nation tries to figure out what to do in the aftermath. Hundreds of thousands flee capitals in the remaining states, fearful that theirs will be the next target.

"The Secretary of Labor has woken to find himself the next president of the United States as his previous ten players in the line of succession were targeted in a single night in an unprecedented event. The U.S. has now joined as the 37th country targeted in this global terror event that has destabilized entire continents.

"An emergency council of the United Nations has been called at a time and location that has yet to be disclosed. Authority figures promise they will have some answers for the world as all watch and wonder who will be next?"

Loki watched and smiled. He knew who would be next.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

"In world news tonight, a breaking event has taken place. While the eyes of the world looked on in fear for who would be the next victim to the global catastrophes taking the world by storm, for the last two nights, no countries fell.

"Argentina, Italy, Thailand, and Malaysia all appear to have been the next targets, but in each location, the attacks were prevented by the appearance of an interstellar hero.

"While better known for his role in Norse mythology and, more recently, his efforts to fight off the attacking army in New York, the man identified as Thor, God of Thunder, appeared flying through the capitals of each of these countries over the last two nights. Reporters and news cameras caught him in the act, capturing snipers dressed in black, forcing them into handcuffs, and transporting them in a jet to a secure facility for containment and prosecution.

"Contacts from a global intelligence agency known as SHIELD have confirmed that Thor is working as an ally in preventing the further destabilization of countries around the world."

Loki smiled. The images of Thor flying through the air behind Mjolnir dominated each news station and news headline. Crowds cheered Thor's name wherever Loki projected Thor's illusions for them to cheer.

It was too easy, really. Alexander Pierce, with his falsely blue eyes slightly glazed, told Loki all the most intimate and secret details of Hydra's plots of world domination. Then Loki could twist them as he saw fit. Between Pierce's subservience and the power of the scepter, Pierce's army was easily dealt with and brought under Loki's dominion instead.

If he just so happened to parade them publicly in handcuffs behind Thor for the news cameras to capture, so much the better.

By tomorrow night, Loki would put an end to the attacks entirely. The news, the public, SHIELD-they would all praise Thor for coming to their rescue, for vanquishing their mysterious foes, and stopping the fall of the entire realm. Loki would ensure that "Thor" would make rousing speeches on public television dressed in his finest cape and armor. He would flash his most brilliant smile and steal all their hearts.

As Thor always did. As he was meant to do. As only a true king could.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki, dressed as Thor, stood in front of the gathering of government officials in the covert United Nations meeting. He stood next to Alexander Pierce, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill. Loki's carefully placed glamour hid the blue tinted eyes of Secretary Pierce.

A glance around the hidden facility deep underground in Hanoi showed the fragile threads holding many of these countries together. Desks representing each of the member countries of the United Nations showed the name of the country and names of the representatives. In 37 of these desks, pictures and flowers showed who was now represented by a hastily chosen, under-prepared set of substitutes.

A somber mood covered the room as the first three hours were spent listing their national losses and the challenges each country now faced in the aftermath. It became apparent that even the countries that remained intact faced economic repercussions from what some news anchors now dubbed "The Fall".

"It's chaos. Pure chaos!" the representative for Saudi Arabia said. "All 200 of our most powerful princes were assassinated. Our oil operations will not be repaired for at least two years. Our people are afraid. Their fear has led them to riot and loot all the shops in fear of the future."

"With all of our top trading partners destabilized in combination with U.S. infrastructure damage, the U.S. economy will take years to rebuild," said the representative for the U.S.

"Not to mention all the major aid donor countries will no longer be in a position to be providing aid. Even those of us who retain our governments and our businesses will suffer," said the representative for Tanzania.

"We all are in agreement. It's a bloody mess. The real question is: what do we do about it now?" said the Secretary-General, calling order and bringing direction into the proceedings.

Secretary Alexander Pierce rose and addressed the council in a calm tone full of self-assurance and projecting wisdom. "Nations of the world, we have all experienced a terrible tragedy. Just as we have shared in the effects of this disaster, so we must band together to rebuild. If you would allow me to make a suggestion: SHIELD has competent and highly trained agents that can assist each of your nations develop transitional governments and restore order. We are a global and apolitical entity. We can agree on a timed exit strategy, but we have the man-power and the skills to step into the chaos and restore peace. This is what SHIELD exists for. Let us help stand in the gaps that have been left by this terrible tragedy until you can stand on your own two feet again."

Debates continued late into that night and late into every night for the remainder of the week.

No further countries fell into crisis and the information from apprehended agents continued to assure the United Nations assembly of the end of "The Fall." SHIELD's Secretary Pierce provided them with clear, thorough plans to rebuild with the assistance of his specially chosen, well-trained fleet of agents and Thor gave rousing speeches and pledges of honor and fidelity to all.

Thus all United Nations member states (save five who still distrusted the idea) wholeheartedly approved the plans of Secretary Pierce to rebuild their human and physical infrastructure.

Each U.N. member state returned home with a sense of hope for the future and plans to ease the fears of their constituents. Loki still found that both hope and fear proved invaluable tools in the quest for world domination.

oooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki lay on the uncomfortable cot in his commandeered room. SHIELD seemed to prioritize fixing the world over fixing the broken heater in this undamaged portion of their headquarters. He did not mind the fluctuating temperatures. Still, he wondered, what the world would think if they knew their puppet master slept on a hard cot hardly suitable to soldiers in a room smaller than his wardrobe at home.

Home. He didn't have a home anymore.

He rolled over, suddenly even more uncomfortable and stared at the drab white wall across from him. On the small nightstand next to his bed, Mjolnir's edges shone and glistened. The sight of it gave him an irrational sense of familiarity.

"You would have enjoyed this, brother," he said softly to the hammer, in a ritual he seemed to fall into every day now, much as he had done with his brother during their childhood when they still slept in the same chamber. "Flying about, rescuing people, stopping mighty foes, instilling order and hope onto the masses of peons beneath you. They worship you as much now as they ever did. Though, I do not think I enjoy it as much as you would. I find I enjoy…what do I enjoy?"

He paused, lost in thought, and finding himself uncomfortably disturbed by the thought that he no longer knew what he enjoyed.

He enjoyed making mischief…but without Thor to disturb, irritate, or laugh with him at his efforts, he felt rather deflated. Like an empty barrel of mead.

He enjoyed upsetting order, but now he found himself cleaning up other's messes instead, which was, in a way, still upsetting another's well-laid plans in a way they did not expect, but he did not revel in the sight of frightened, lost people cowering before him the way he once did. He did not feel powerful anymore or thirst for the undisguised fear or adoration of others as he once did.

"I am the invisible king of the realm I sought to conquer and for what? Who will be impressed with my feat? Certainly not I. Nor you. Mother and Father…your mother and father, I should say, will no more look upon my accomplishments with pride than a mother looks with pride upon her child's feet traipsing mud across the floor. It is all hollow. Now what will I do? What will I accomplish? Humiliate another evil genius? Discover another plot and overturn it?

"I am not made to rule, I am made to overturn and upset. Some people build towers. I knock them down. I do not like playing this other role. I do not relish playing the hero. Nor do I relish playing the villain. I much prefer playing at Loki for that is the only role I truly excel at."

But who is Loki? He thought uncomfortably to himself. Without Thor, without Asgard, without a title, without a duty, without a family-what remained? A failed Frost Giant? A failed Aesir? A failed prince? A failed brother? A failed son? The noun changed, but the adjective remained the same.

He thought he knew it all, had it under control. He had a plan. This was not his plan.

He no longer bothered to hide himself from Heimdall. What could be done to him? If the All-Father sought vengeance and justice upon him, he could welcome it with open arms for he knew he deserved it. What of his actions were worthy of hiding now? That he played at both his own life and his brother's? No, if anything he honored his brother's memory by keeping the myth of him alive among the mortals, in some way preventing him from dying, keeping him immortal for all time. That way, he could keep pretending too.

No, if Asgard wished to know his whereabouts, he would not hide. Not anymore.

"Goodnight, brother," he said. He pulled his rough blanket higher around his chin and fell asleep.

ooooooooooooo

* * *

Author's Note:_ So, I was debating whether to drag this out a bit longer and give more detail. Then I realized that this plot is more centered upon what happens after and not the process of how it happens. Thus, the world is "conquered" rather quickly and without a lot of details. _

_Hope you enjoy! I'd love to hear your thoughts thus far in the story!_

_FYI, I didn't want to list all of these in the text of the story, but in case you are curious, here's the list of countries that have been conquered:_

_Day 1: Iran, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia_

_Day 2: United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Russia, India, and China_

_Day 3: Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, Nigeria, South Africa, and Chile_

_Day 4: Guatemala, New Zealand, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway_

_Day 5: Pakistan, Turkey, Switzerland, Taiwan, Sweden, Denmark_

_Day 6: Belgium, Austria, U.A.E, Egypt, Israel_

_Day 7: U.S.A._


	9. Chapter 9: Canna Lilies

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Canna Lilies**

* * *

Monday through Saturday, Loki found himself rather busier than he liked. Rebuilding a toppled planet proved full of rather mundane tasks like nominating rulers and rebuilding airports and filling power vacuums. He much preferred the conquering to the ruling. Secretary Pierce provided him with a plethora of truly capable minions, but he could not fully relinquish control of their minds until he was assured of their loyalty or he risked further chaos.

Then he was plagued with the difficulties created by his personal army. He was surprised (and rather impressed), to find that the majority of well-planned world conquest was carried out by a mere handful of mortals. These five "Winter Soldiers", as they were called by Pierce, proved to be genetically enhanced and brainwashed soldiers that could destabilize an entire country in one night. This mind spell that held them captive to the will of their master kept them from insurrection but also prevented creative thought and the free action needed of a real armed force. He would need to free them from this mind spell but he did not have the time or the energy yet. He would add it to his ever-growing list of tasks he needed to accomplish.

In the meantime, the scepter easily overtook the power of their mind spell and kept them obedient to his wishes. They were useful enough and so Loki determined to keep them. He sent them around D.C. and New York to help restore some of the infrastructure he desired for ease in transport and communication between cities. They proved slightly less effective at rebuilding as destroying, but still adequate.

Sundays were Loki's day to do as he pleased. He refused to dwell on his mountain of mundane tasks and lurk invisibly around the austere hallways of the Triskelion and instead, he walked the streets of Manhattan. Every Sunday, he laid flowers at the base of the remains of Stark Tower. He supposed he could find something better to do with his time, but try as he might, each Sunday afternoon found him haunting the same streets. He sat on the battered steps, now clean of debris, and watched the city come back to life little-by-little each week.

Loki walked through the ruined city, watching as people began to rebuild, to change, to come back. Shopkeepers fixed broken glass, repaired broken walls, and made the "open" signs blink from their front windows again. Large groups of volunteer workers helped clean up the streets. They came armed with trash cans and shovels and heavy leather gloves. They started some of the work that could be done without heavy machinery.

Hordes of people still slept on the floors of gymnasiums and churches and dance halls-anywhere they could find space-as they waited to determine if they would leave for other regions or stick it out here in the place they called home.

Their home without homes.

He noticed one man who dressed himself in a fine suit, tie, and briefcase and walked the same route every day of the week. Loki followed him and found the man went to the same bench, a concrete bench with a crack through the middle of it, next to the ruins of a building. The man sat on the bench till 5pm each day and then left the way he came. The man never spoke a word, he didn't seem to ever "do" anything. He came, he sat, and he went. Then returned at 8am exactly the next morning.

Another woman came every Sunday to one particular spot where she sat on a wicker chair, dug in the dirt, and held long conversations with herself. He thought her mad at first till he crept close enough to listen. She greeted him and invited him to sit with her on a broken stool.

"I've seen you here before," she said. She wore a loose floral dress and her brown hair was peppered with stripes of grey. She looked at him kindly and he no longer believed her to be mad. He nodded and came to sit beside her though the stool felt precariously unbalanced beneath him.

"We all have our reasons," she said, not asking him his. "I come here to speak with my husband and my three children….I visited my sister that week in Maine…I still wonder if it would have been better if I'd stayed home."

She gave a half smile and fought back some tears.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Look, here," she said. She pointed at what must have once been the back garden of a home. There, she must have worked for weeks to clear away rubble to reveal barren dirt. Sticking out of one small planter, three sprigs of green stuck out of the dirt, about the size of the woman's pinky finger.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's life," she said and smiled. "It's proof that life goes on, even after so much death."

Loki chatted with the woman for nearly a half hour before they parted ways.

Loki did not return to that side of the city for another three weeks. When he returned, it was a Sunday again and so he decided to see if Mrs. Johnson still came for what she called "Sunday dinner". He found her sitting in her wicker chair, telling her invisible eldest daughter all about the movie she'd seen the night before.

She saw him and waved him over to her. He sat on the broken stool (it creaked and wobbled something awful) and before he could ask her any of the polite, mundane questions one asks with near strangers, her face broke into a brilliant grin and she pointed towards her planter.

There, three tall flowers grew in full bloom. Their petals as red as Thor's cape and their centers a rich gold. Their thick green leaves delicately wrapped their blooms in a cloak of deep emerald.

"Look! They bloomed," she said. "These Canna lilies survived a nuclear blast and being buried under a half ton of concrete and still, they have come back to thrive. Aren't they something?"

"They are beautiful," Loki said.

"They don't have to be," she said. "They could have refused and given up. But no, not only did they determine to grow but then they bloomed too. They could have only made leaves, but they chose to make flowers. I want to be like them," the woman said, a wistful sound in her voice. "I keep wondering what the point is, why I keep waking up in the morning and bother with living…then I saw those flowers and they reminded me. I wake up so I can keep blooming. Even if life gives me the ugliest, most awful circumstances, I can refuse to let it keep me from bringing beauty in the midst of it."

Loki watched the Mrs. Johnson, her face radiant as she basked in the afternoon sun and admired her Canna lilies, all in the shadow of her former home and her former life.

"You already are," he said.

She smiled and patted his hand. "You're sweet," she said.

Then she got up, grabbed a shovel and walked towards the planter. She dug around the base of the plants, drew up a shoot, and placed it in a small pot with some dirt.

"Here," she said. "These will grow pretty much anywhere, as you can see." She handed him the pot.

"Why are you giving me these?" he asked.

"Because you need the reminder too," she said. "You can still come back, too. You don't have to stay buried in the past. Grow, thrive, and make something beautiful out of the place you have been planted."

Her hazel eyes met his and crinkled as she smiled, another tear slipped down her cheek.

"Now, I think I have my dates right…the days all mix together now…but if I remember correctly, today is the day that I give you your message," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"A few months ago, before, well, before everything, I was watering my roses…oh, you would have loved my roses! They were really something! Anyhow, this woman stopped by my gate. She didn't have any hair so at first I thought maybe she was undergoing cancer treatment, but she also wore strange robes…you know, like those Buddhist monks do over at the temple that used to be on Canal Street? But she didn't look Asian. She didn't tell me her name but somehow she knew mine. She called to me and said that when the Canna lilies bloomed again, I would need to give a young man a message for her. Well, I was confused, as you can imagine, because my Canna lilies bloom all summer and fall. It's only when the frost hits that they stop. It was the next day that I left for Maine. It's almost as if she knew what was coming…"

Mrs. Johnson paused and her eyes grew distant as her mind wandered into the recesses of the past. She soon refocused and turned back to Loki. She rummaged through her purse for a moment and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to him.

"Well, she told me to give this to you, at least I assume it's you since I haven't seen any other young men around since my flowers bloomed. I hope it helps you," she said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. You have been most kind," he responded as he placed the paper in his pocket to read in privacy.

"We could all use a little more of that these days," she said. She gave his hand another squeeze and turned back to stare at the red and gold glory of her flowers.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please review and share your thoughts! :)_


	10. Chapter 10: Sand

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Sand**

* * *

The grey clouds kept the sun from warming the crisp fall morning. Loki sat on the Pier 4 beach overlooking the dark waters of the bay and the skeletal remains of the city across from him. The past three Sundays proved too busy to allow him to escape to the man-made wasteland, to his personal shrine at the remains of Stark Tower, and to the garden of Mrs. Johnson.

His own little sprout of Canna lilies now stood as tall as Mjolnir in the large pot beside his window in his stolen room. He thought Mrs. Johnson would appreciate that knowledge but her garden remained empty this afternoon. He couldn't help but hope all was well with her. He paused to wonder what stories she came to tell her personal ghosts these past few weeks. Would their spirits hear her from the halls of their ancestors? He didn't know. He grew up hearing such stories but never sought to discover whether truth lay beneath them.

Across the waters, he could see the gaping holes where swathes of city no longer stood. Buildings seemed to have instantly vanished without a trace. Some buildings proved hardier and their blackened, smoldered frames remained, remnants of a world that no longer existed.

He couldn't help but note the similarities between the physical infrastructure and the human. Across Midgard, in what felt like an instant, entire countries had been symbolically demolished. While the strongest of foundations and supports still maintained tentative holds on existence and the possibility of rebuilding what once was, still entire swathes of ways of life now proved entirely demolished. Governments, economies, countries would need to be rebuilt from the ground up and he found himself entirely inadequate for such a mammoth undertaking.

Hostilities and threats of war were brewing between China and Japan in the scrambles for power that had emerged in the vacuum. North Korea "graciously volunteered" to rebuild South Korea, despite the protests of the latter country. Civil wars exploded across Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Guatemala as rival groups sought to take control. His minions would soon quiet these, but in the meantime, precious infrastructure was receiving further damage that they could not afford.

Protests across Europe and North America were hindering efforts to rebuild. Washington D.C. had no choice but to enforce martial law as rioters and protesters stirred chaos into the damaged city. His headquarters in the Triskelion still proved secure, but he did not believe they would remain so. Already, SHIELD was plotting for possible removal to safer locations in case the anarchy continued to increase.

What could he do? He looked again upon the naked steel beams of the city's corpse. What was left when all else had been destroyed and burned away? What was strong enough to remain and be incorporated into the new birth of the city and what would forever be buried in memory?

He gave a sardonic laugh. The handiwork of the "God of Chaos" presupposed an established order. How could mischief exist without accepted norms of what is "good"? How could lies be effective without a commonly shared narrative of truth? What becomes of a shadow when the light has vanished? Without Asgard, without the house of Odin, without Thor, who was Loki? When stripped of his own lies, his own illusions, his own rebellions, what was left? In some places, not even skeletal supports of who he had once been. Simply empty, meaningless spaces remained.

He paused and looked up and down the small beach. Sea gulls cried above him. Bones of fish and birds lay scattered upon the sand, not yet washed away into the sea for burial. The poisoned air and water still seeped into the living. The next few generations of offspring would carry that poison in their blood. Could the memory of such destruction ever truly be erased? Should it be? Was it better to forget everything that had once been and forge on ahead as if it were a blank slate instead of a bloody palimpsest?

The light sand below him also seemed marred. Intermixed with the soft, tan granules, he found larger fragments of various colors. He grabbed handfuls and let it slip through his fingers, gathering some of the discolored grains. He looked closer then he quickly flung them back upon the ground.

It was the city. The initial explosion which seemed to evaporate entire city blocks had not actually made those building disappear. The city was simply melted and reformed into granules of sand. Bits of metal, concrete, glass, and rock that used to form the massive monuments to human power and ingenuity were now reduced to sand on the shores of the sea. They could not be rebuilt to what they once were, nor could they ever truly be erased out of existence.

He turned to lay on his stomach in the sand, carefully analyzing the fragments for what they once were, imagining what mighty structure they once supported. What stories would they tell?

He discovered a glass jar near a can of refuse, washed it out in the sea, and began to fill it with the most interesting of grains of sand. It would come home with him, he thought, and sit next to his lilies. They belonged together, though he would not stop long to muse upon why. He found his mind too full of other matters to let it dwell on those thoughts he found too uncomfortable or too time-consuming. He would think upon those things later-maybe when he found himself with spare time and empty space.

Now, he needed to discover more about the remaining Infinity Stones and Midgard did not provide that information. In order to find out more, he would need to reach the other realms and that would require constructing his own means to reach them.

Unfortunately, the Tesseract and Erik Selvig had both been lost. Dr. Selvig's research and mental prowess would have been instrumental in developing the foundation for another portal or a Midgardian version of a bifrost. Loki sighed. He would need another scientist. Even more unfortunate, his searches through the SHIELD databases showed that the next most qualified candidate for his purposes also proved to be the one he least desired to seek out.

No. He remembered the way those bright eyes shone upon him, as if he (in Thor's visage) hung the moon himself. No, he could not face Dr. Jane Foster again. If he could help it.

The third scientist on his list had also been lost in the New York bombing and the fourth was currently stationed on the International Space Station, well out of his reach. The fifth…was his pride and reluctance so strong that he would stoop to the fifth most qualified candidate rather than facing the second?

_Yes. Yes it was._

He determined to journey across the country to seek out Dr. Jones of U.C. Berkeley and grovel for his assistance. He must be better than the alternative. He would leave tomorrow.

Once again, he pulled out the crumpled piece of paper he had long since memorized. He could easily dismiss it, but he was too curious. It wasn't so much the content of the note but the motivation. Who was the woman who gave it to Mrs. Johnson and why? Was it truly meant for him or was it all a mistake? All the note contained were a series of geo-spatial coordinates. No name, no further explanation, only a series of numbers that led to a location on Midgard. What was he supposed to do with this?

He had searched all he could find on the extensive SHIELD databases. The information he unearthed was surprisingly limited when compared with information on other polities. On the surface, they appeared a small, predominately agrarian country which preferred isolation to involving itself in international affairs. They refused tourism, international investment, charitable aid, importation of goods, and external academic interest in their country. They had no history of political aspirations outside of their own borders, nor did they allow any of the myriad of potentially interested parties' entrance into theirs. They neither wanted to be dependent on others nor wanted others to be dependent on them.

As a master of illusion and deception, he could easily recognize the signs. What were they hiding? There was power in being underestimated, as he well-knew and often utilized. During the past and current conquests of the globe, they had not made the list of "important" and "powerful" countries and thus they remained entirely undisturbed.

He kept returning to the same points. They were stable, they were secretive, and they were isolated. Three characteristics he rather valued and could use of more in his current affairs. He added another task to his ever-growing list.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki stared at the metal door which now stood firmly shut in his face. It failed to reopen. Loki cursed at its dark brown metal face and seriously considered melting it in retribution. He relented and returned to the walk on the pathway through the grassy, open courtyard of the university.

He had tried everything-promises of fame and riches, appeals to curiosity and the benefit of humanity, threats and coercion-and nothing worked. Dr. Jones of U.C. Berkeley, a white-haired, black-spectacled man in an unkempt shirt and blue jeans, simply refused.

"I am happy where I am," the man said. "I like what I am doing here and I am not interested in changing."

When the threats began, Dr. Jones unceremoniously showed Loki to the other side of his metal door.

He could simply use the scepter. It would be so much easier. Free will proved an irritating mortal habit that he much preferred to break them of. In this case, he found his own conscience an even more irritating habit than mortal free will. Without the pressure of imminent world destruction (as threatened by Thanos and Hydra), Loki struggled with the moral justification required to strip another mortal ant of their free will in order to pursue his own aims.

They were mighty aims which would greatly improve the chances that the entire universe would survive and defeat Thanos, but in the end, if he were to choose another mortal ant to force to serve his will, he would not so demean himself by choosing #5.

Unfortunately, his sixth candidate would be giving birth any day, his seventh was hospitalized during the attacks in Beijing, and his eighth was currently stationed in Antarctica.

He cursed himself for his foolhardy, poorly conceived plan of gleaning information from Fury. His own inner turmoil had clouded his vision and kept him from rational thought. How could he so publicly masquerade as Thor during the memorial for the so-called "Avengers"? (Only Stark would come up with so ridiculous a name.) He could have found Fury privately at another time…he could have arrived in an alternate disguise and thus maintained more options for himself now.

Loki sighed and watched as students wandered through the university around him, textbooks in hand. They behaved as though the world around them continued on in mundane order. They did not look as though they were a vanquished, conquered people. And maybe they weren't, not completely.

He was tempted to remove his disguise and parade through the crowded courtyard in full armor, calling for them to give him the honor due him as their king, as the one who determined whether they would live to see another day or end their miserable existence. He imagined their shock and fear in seeing he still lived, still conquered. It would be world news by night fall and all would tremble.

Unfortunately, that would not change his current state of humiliation or reduce the unpleasantness of his next task. It would also not curry any more favor with his current obstacle.

He would need to grovel…to Jane Foster.

This could not go well. No matter how he presented himself, this could not end well, and he had no one to blame but himself for his own folly.

If he played at being Thor, he would need to maintain the illusion perpetually and he easily tired of the masquerade. While the glamour was easy enough to maintain, it was the personality that he could not abide for long. Thor's effervescent cheerfulness, his gregarious positivity-Loki could only manage it for an hour at most before he felt compelled to skewer himself on his own sword in protest.

He could look like Thor but act like Loki…and give himself away within five minutes. Jane, while only minimally acquainted with his brother, was keen enough to notice the difference between Asgard's beloved golden prince and their rejected and disgraced former king. Then he would appear a liar (which he was) but it would not help him gain her trust.

He could appear as Loki-but he informed her himself that Loki is dead and Thor lives. Correcting her on his original story will doubtlessly leave him with a weeping, angry woman who will blame him for the deaths of both Thor and her beloved Erik Selvig. This would not gain her trust or cooperation.

He could masquerade as an agent of SHIELD or an anonymous benefactor interested in furthering her work. He could use the scepter and force her cooperation.

Regardless, he would need to do something.

He sighed, pulled out the white card with her contact information on it, and dialed the numbers."Hello, Dr. Foster," he said as a woman's voice greeted him from the other side.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's notes: t__he city-turned-to-sand came from an article I read on the aftermath of the atomic blast in Hiroshima. If you are interested, look up "What Happened, Physically, to the City of Hiroshima After the A-Bomb" in Japan Times._


	11. Chapter 11: Fall

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Fall**

* * *

Loki sat on a metal bench underneath an oak tree in the busy park. A chill wind threw orange and red leaves onto the grass around him. Rivers of people passed by him on the walkway by whose bank he sat. Some rode wheeled contraptions, others walked or ran. He sat with a hot cake in his hand which he took small bites of from time-to-time. The vendor at the little cart had told him it was called a "churro" and said it was a kind of sweet treat. Loki thought it looked rather like a tree branch or a club more than a cake. It was sweet enough to satisfy his craving and he watched the pigeons that congregated at his feet begging for his crumbs.

He couldn't help but feel irritated. It had taken three hours to convince Jane Foster to surrender to his will and even then, it was only a partial victory. If he had known that her deep-rooted dislike of SHIELD proved stronger than any moral compunction to use her gifts for the "betterment of humanity," he would not have posed as an agent of said organization. If he had known her dislike for SHIELD ran even deeper than her desire for fame, renown, riches, he most certainly would have pursued an alternate method of persuasion.

When he arrived on her doorstep in Puente Antiguo wearing the standard issue SHIELD agent suit and the face of Agent Smith (who all the other SHIELD agent women secretly found attractive and talked about it when they thought no others were listening), he found the door slammed and locked in his face.

"No," she said to him through her slightly cracked window.

"Dr. Foster," he said, surprise evident in his voice. "You have not even heard why I am here."

"I don't care," she said.

"May I inquire as to the reason?"

"Because, the first time you people came, you stole all my stuff. The next time you came, you stole away Erik Selvig and never gave him back. The next time you came, you gave me a hoax of a great opportunity and stole away my freedom. The final time you came, it was to tell me you blew up Erik and Thor and half of New York. Go Away."

She slammed the sliding window shut with a resounding clank. So Loki stood outsider her door, eyes scanning the dusty, marred streets of the town he himself had previously destroyed, and waited. After a half hour, he turned himself invisible and continued to wait.

He was just beginning to think maybe he would resort to #9 when Jane's brown head peeked through the window and, thinking him gone, came to the door and opened it.

Loki reappeared at the corner where she could not see him and followed her down the street. He caught up with her as she neared the next block and cleared his throat.

"What is wrong with you people?" she shouted. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Earth needs you," he said. "Your work on the Foster Theory is invaluable and you are required to protect this world from other possible offenders. What if those alien invaders were to return? How will Earth protect itself? We need you to research how to open up another portal."

"That doesn't make any sense," Jane said, rolling her eyes. "Why would opening up a portal help protect earth from alien invaders…opening a portal did not help New York. In fact, if I remember properly, opening a portal is what started the chaos in New York to begin with…oh wait, how did the wrath of Loki even come to Earth? Because you people were playing with toys you didn't understand and opened a door to let him waltz right in. No."

"I understand your hesitation, but, Dr. Foster, let me be honest, you are the most highly recommended, knowledgeable and best equipped of all of Earth's scientists to assist us in our current predicament. Not only that, but Prince Thor recommended you and requested your assistance by name to help him return to Asgard. He's found himself trapped on Earth and we need to find a way to get him home and request Asgard for assistance against future invasions."

"If Thor wanted me to help him, he wouldn't send you to talk to me, he'd come to me himself," she said. "After what happened to him and his brother, he has no more reason to trust you than I do."

"I can offer you wealth and freedom to pursue all the knowledge you desire with any technology you request. When we succeed, you can be the first to pursue knowledge of other planets," he said.

"You'd say anything to make me agree," she responded. "I won't."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

An hour later, Loki returned, this time dressed as Thor. He created a majestic illusion of Thor flying through the sky and alighting down the street. He watched as Jane's head peeked out her window again. This time she threw her door open and ran down the street to where he stood, crimson cape flying in the wind behind him.

Jane slowed her steps from a run to a walk and then, in contrast to their last meeting, refrained from embracing him. Instead she crossed her arms across her chest and stared at him expectantly.

"Lady Jane," Loki said. He took Jane's hand in his own and brought it to his lips for a kiss. He made sure to gaze into her eyes with the brightest of expressions, full of all the emotion only Thor would ever be fool enough to openly display. "I have come to plead for your assistance."

"Hmph," she said with a disgruntled stare. "The guy in the suit failed so they sent you? Really?"

"My apologies, Lady Jane. I should have attended to you myself but I was caught up in other matters. Midgard has been keeping me occupied much of late."

"Yeah. I've seen you on the news a few times. I'm glad you are here to help. It's been crazy and scary and….," Jane's face suddenly crumpled and she burst into tears. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a jerk. I just…it's just…Erik's gone and he's all I had and now, I'm just so angry and so sad and I don't know what to do with myself and then the whole world is going haywire and it doesn't make any sense."

Loki stared at her, frozen in horror. He did not anticipate tears. He began darting his eyes around seeking an exit strategy but found himself encircled by a pair of small arms and a sniffling head leaned against his chest. He ground his teeth and fought to maintain his façade. Thor would not back away. Thor would grant the maiden comfort and a warm smile.

But he was not Thor.

_(Only today he was.)_

"All will be well, Lady Jane," he said, attempting to give her a warm, comforting smile and speak kindly. "I swear it."

He felt her small frame shudder a few more times before she finally stilled. Her red, swollen eyes met his and he could see a change occur. A fierce determination crossed her face.

"Thor, I will do it for you. You should be able to go home. I won't do it for SHIELD and certainly not for all those bogus reasons the guy in the suit gave. You've given enough to help the people here and it's only fair the people of Midgard return the favor. I wouldn't be surprised if SHIELD intentionally kept you here for their own purposes. I don't trust them and I don't trust any of what's been going on here, but you should be able to return to your family."

"I'd be most indebted to you for your assistance, Lady Jane," Loki responded. "Allow me to leave you with some of the designs and research I have that I believe will aid you in our quest."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Thus, Loki sat on a bench, disgruntled and decidedly irritated, even more so as he contemplated his churro. Upon completion of his first, he decided it was terrible. Upon completion of his third, he declared it tolerable. By his fifth, he decided he liked the crunchy, sticky cakes. By his seventh, he became convinced that this was the only worthwhile thing he had yet experienced on Midgard.

He watched as a woman in a pink outfit ran with her fluffy white dog down the walkway. She nearly collided with a teenage boy balancing on a board with wheels coming the opposite direction. The boy jumped off the board and caught it and prevented their collision, much to Loki's disappointment. Loki watched as the woman glared at the boy and he chuckled. Then his smile grew mischievous.

He cast invisibility over himself again and conjured Mjolnir to appear in the center of the walkway in front of him. Then he sat and waited.

A man in a sweater with gray hair walked past with a newspaper in hand. The man saw the silver glint of the hammer and looked around him for a moment before he bent to pick it up. When he failed with one hand, he placed the newspaper in his back pocket and tried two hands. He gave a grunt, shrugged, and continued walking. He turned to look back at the hammer one more time before he disappeared around a bend.

A group of adolescents followed soon after. Their gangly limbs and smooth faces showed they were too young for boyhood but not quite at full manhood. Their uproarious conversation could be heard long before their footsteps neared Loki's hiding place. As they caught sight of the hammer, two boys appeared to give it no mind and continued walking past. Their companions' curiosity outweighed their own and the other four boys circled around the hammer. They looked around for its owner and, seeing none, speculated on its purpose.

"How does someone just forget something like that in the middle of a path?" one asked.

"Nah, man, I think someone put it here on purpose-like one of those candid camera shows. It's not like people walk around with hammers like that in their back pockets and then loose them," said another.

"Maybe a construction worker dropped it off his truck?" said another.

The tallest of the youths bent to retrieve the hammer and let out a grunt when it refused to budge.

"Dude, this thing is heavy!"

"Nah, man you just weak!" said another. "Let some real muscles try!"

Another boy laughed and flexed his arms. "Anyone got a needle and thread-cause I'm ripped!" he said and his companions groaned and jeered at him.

One by one, the boys failed to lift the hammer. Their faces grew flushed with embarrassment and frustration.

"Dude, I'll bet it's like a statue. You know, like a part of the park and it's here for decoration but it's actually, like, connected to a massive rock or something underneath."

"Yeah, right. A statue in the middle of the walkway? We've been to this park like a million times and ain't nobody ever seen no statue here," said another.

"Shut up," his companion retorted.

"I'm starved. Can we go now?" said another. The entire group soon vanished.

After a dozen or so more attempts to lift the hammer failed, Loki grew tired of his game. He would need to cease his play and return to his toils. Before he could retrieve it, a hum of a two-wheeled metal contraption neared him. The woman riding came barreling down the pathway so quickly that she did not see the hammer until the last moment. She quickly swerved her bicycle, lost her balance, and tumbled into a bush with a flurry of curses.

Loki broke into a full laugh and decided this was the best idea he'd had since he decided to conquer Midgard.

Oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Nick Fury paced his office in the Triskelion, hands behind his back, eye firmly fixed out the window on the land beneath. An orange cat sat on his desk. It napped in the warmth cast from the sun shining through the window of his office. He could still see the scorch marks on the bank across the street. The overloaded insurance companies and emergency funds had all declared bankruptcy and repairs would be harder to finance around the nation. With the loss of jobs that accompanied the destruction of New York, pockets were tight all along the East Coast.

His decades with SHIELD involved planning for scenarios like this, but he had never thought he'd see the day where it would come to pass. He didn't like it. Alexander Pierce held too much power and influence in current world events. He wasn't acting himself. His wife kept calling to complain.

"He is never at home and when he does come back, he isn't himself," she said.

Then again, after watching the world collapse around them, no one seemed to be acting quite themselves these days. At least in D.C., the people Nick met harbored a glowing fear within their breasts that overflowed into their eyes. Would it begin again? Would they be next? What did they do from here?

The supposed masterminds behind the destruction had been brought into SHIELD custody by the Asgardian prince-all dramatically executed and easily carried out. These public arrests were followed by rousing speeches and well-orchestrated media displays. And none of the supposed masterminds had the skill level to really pull off such an efficient conquest.

It wreaked of a set up and Fury didn't like it.

Yet, he had to admit, it was working. All of Pierce's directions were apt and led to rebuilding stability and keeping chaos at bay. His directions were too apt. Pierce had always been an incredibly capable man, but not that capable.

There had to be somebody else.

And Nick fury didn't want to think too hard about who it could possibly be, but he also had to admit he had his suspicions.

Ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

"It can't be done," Jane said two weeks later. Loki ground his teeth together and clenched his jaw.

"Why not?" he said, in Thor's voice, over the phone.

"We don't have a great enough power source. The only reason Erik was able to get that portal working was because of the amount of power Stark Tower had access to. All the alternative power sources we have available to work with have either been dismantled in the chaos or else they are not great enough for a project of this scope," she said. "The amount of energy it's going to take to create a bridge of this magnitude is unparalleled."

"With the exception of the power source, how are other plans progressing?" he asked.

"They are moving along, but slowly. I could only access Erik's older data. He took his most recent stuff with him to his grave and his world conquering leader forgot to make back ups."

"I will work on the power source. You focus on the mechanics. I will call again in a week," he said stiffly.

"Wait, Thor, I'm sorry. I don't mean to take it out on you. I know you cared about your brother and I am sorry…it's just a little hard for me too."

"Yes, Dr. Foster. Until next time," he said and disconnected the call.

ooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

From his vantage point across the street, Loki could just make out a straw hat and a brown dress crouched in the corner of the garden. He didn't bother to hide his smile. He walked across the deserted street and stopped beside the broken fence. He placed both hands upon the fence posts and watched as uprooted plant remains showered the ground beneath the straw hat. He could just make out the sound of a low song coming from the gardener. He cleared his throat and the straw hat swung around to face him.

"It's you!" Mrs. Johnson said with sincere happiness in her voice. She seemed to be the only person on this miserable realm who welcomed his company. He returned her greeting with one of his own, equally sincere in his appreciation of their meeting. Mrs. Johnson wiped her elbow across her forehead and cleaned her hands on the rough brown cloth of her dress. Her hazel eyes warmed in her wide smile. "I began to wonder where you'd run off to," she said. "It's been awhile!"

"Indeed. I noticed your absence from many a Sunday dinner," Loki said. Mrs. Johnson waved him inside. The dilapidated gate crunched against the cobbled pathway as he slid it open. He cautiously sat on the unstable stool to prevent it from toppling over. Mrs. Johnson plopped into her own chair and pulled out two bottles of water from a burlap satchel she kept on a side table.

"I have a small bud forming," Loki said. "The lilies have grown to this high," he said and gestured their current height with his hands.

"How lovely!" Mrs. Johnson gushed and placed her hand on his. "They like you. You must be doing something right! You see mine have grown a few more flowers?"

"I see," Loki responded.

"They won't last much longer, I'm afraid. The temperature is dropping and frost is in the forecast. That will be the end till next spring."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Loki said.

"I'm trying to make the best of it," she responded, dropping her eyes to the water bottle in her dirt-stained hands. "It will give me time to try something new…but some days, I think I'd prefer to stick with the old…and I feel overcome by a bit too much opportunity for newness."

Loki sat in silence. Her eyes glistened with tears and he watched as she fought against them. "I couldn't come," she finally admitted, dropping her voice to a whisper. "For weeks, I couldn't leave my bed. They say it comes in stages-the grief, that is, and it's normal and to be expected but, to be honest, nothing about any of this feels normal or what I ever would want to expect. Two weeks ago was the first Sunday I made it back here and I couldn't even talk once. I tried, but the words couldn't come," she said. The tears trailed down her face now unheeded and her eyes never met his. She fell into a weighted silence.

"Did you talk today?" Loki asked, his voice low.

"Yes," she said, finally meeting his gaze. "I had to tell my husband about the new recipe I tried last night. He used to always chide me for some of my more creative attempts at cooking and I know he would have appreciated this one in particular."

"Were you successful?"

"It was an unmitigated disaster," Mrs. Johnson said, breaking into a girlish laugh. "Not even the neighbor's dog would eat it!"

Loki couldn't help from joining in her mirth. She quickly wiped the tears away from her cheeks with her sleeve. This succeeded in trailing stripes of dirt down both her cheeks.

"What about you?" she asked. "I never wanted to pry, but I have been curious. Who do you come for?"

"My brother," Loki responded. "I come to visit my brother."

"I see," she said. "Were you close?"

"Not recently," he said. "We once were but recent events had left us deeply strained."

"I'm sorry," she responded. They both fell into silence again.

"It was my fault," Loki said, now no longer meeting her gaze. "He came to New York to find me. If it were not for my foolishness, my brother would still live."

"That is a heavy weight for you to carry," she said simply. She took his hand in hers and allowed him to struggle with the emotion warring in his chest. He failed. Sobs racked his tall frame and the older woman pulled him to lean upon her shoulder. She patted his back and allowed him to weep, her own tears falling upon his head.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she held him. When the initial tide had subsided, she fished out some tissue from her satchel and handed it to him. Loki found himself relieved in her lack of words. She neither spoke hopeful platitudes nor sought to dispel his grief and guilt. She simply continued to sit with him.

"What will you do next?" she asked him when he had put himself back together.

"I know not," he said.

"Allow me to give you a word of advice," she said, a grin spreading across her face. "Don't try to take up cooking."

He laughed. "You have spoken wisely, Mrs. Johnson. I will heed your words."


	12. Chapter 12: Intruders

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Intruders**

* * *

Loki woke in a startled heap on the floor of his stolen room. His heart pounded with adrenaline-laced blood and a blind panic froze him in place. Wide-eyed, he stared into the silent darkness of his room and attempted to situate himself. As the thumping of his heart lessened, he could listen outside his room for other noises –reminders of where he was and what had woken him.

Boots walked through the corridor outside his room but they did not stop. A gargled intercom voice called for an "Agent Morrison to go to Office 35D." These were usual SHIELD noises.

He stiffly rolled over and sat upright on the linoleum floor. His entire body felt damp with sweat.

A nightmare. Again.

His sleep had been plagued since _The Incident in Jotunheim_. After _The Void_, he could not tell the difference between his waking and his sleeping hours for they were all nightmares. It meant little to him whether he inhabited reality or remained within his subconscious for ghosts and monsters plagued both. Now, since _The Flash_, as he had come to call the Midgardian destruction of New York, his dreams had grown infinitely worse. Now they were infiltrated with traces of what had once been but would never be again. Bits and fragments of a distant past haunted him:

_The golden sunlight shining off the roof of the palace in Asgard. _

_His mother's hands caressing his cheek as she sang him a lullaby. _

_Thor's booming and contagious laugh filling the entire hallway. _

_Three sets of little eyes staring up at him expectantly as he told a story by firelight. _

_A chorus of birds in a grove of trees by a cottage in the mountains of Alfheim. _

He would bask in these glimpses of something so sweet and precious and so far away from him. Then he would wake. The reality under-girding those flashes of memory was now gone-swallowed up like the stars at sunrise. Immediately, his glimpses of joy or peace or familiarity would vanish, and in its place, he would be left even more desolate than before the dream and its reminders of all he had lost.

He knew, though, that what had woken him was not one of these dreams or even one of his now regular nightmares. This one had been another message.

He had known, when he accepted it, that the scepter was given to him to keep a leash upon him as much as it was granted to empower him. It both freed and enslaved him, as it freed and enslaved those he exerted its influence upon. Thanos wanted to make sure he could find Loki at all times and, thus, his treasure was safe in Loki's clumsy grasp.

Loki had plotted the destruction of the scepter a hundred times, but, as much as he did not like to admit it, he feared. He feared releasing control of his Midgardian army. He feared the loss of power. He feared what Thanos would do in retaliation for the loss of another of his prizes.

So, he kept it. Unfortunately, this permitted the Mad Titan to draw away his conscious mind (or unconscious mind) at his whim, as a king calls for his court jester for his own amusement. Loki endured the threats, insults, and (worst of all) gruesome fantasies of the Mad Titan for months. Loki knew his threadbare lies about his continued search for the Tesseract would at one point run dry, but he hoped to keep Thanos as far from him (and thus as far from Midgard) as possible. It was also possible (and highly likely) the Titan already knew of the destruction of the Tesseract and reveled in plotting his revenge. Regardless, Loki knew his currently unmolested state on Midgard could not last forever and he would need to work faster.

He sighed and stretched his tight muscles against the cold floor. He knew sleep would now escape him since the ghastly fragrance of the Other's corpse-like breath still clung to his senses. Once fully calmed, he rose and clothed himself and decided he would walk the streets of this Midgardian city again. The fresh air would do him good.

The early morning stars glistened above him, waiting the short hours before dawn. A cool dew cling to the grass and an eerie silence clung to the normally busy city. As he walked, he found himself wishing to be somewhere else and changed course. He emerged in New York and began to pace through the even emptier streets. He inhaled deeply and found the scent of concrete and charred buildings somehow comforting in its familiarity. He walked past the now mountainous pile of memorials laid in the center of the leveled portion of the city. The blackened, scorched spot which had been so unfortunate as to become the epicenter of the damage was now entirely buried with flowers, photographs, hand-written banners, candles, and gifts to honor the spirits of the fallen.

It was comforting, somehow, to remember he was not the only soul so lost and cut off from his kindred by the chasm between the living and the dead. While their years were as short as a blink of his eye, these mortals still loved their kin and grieved their loss with as much vehemence as any Aesir. Their experiences of life may prove as different as the sun from the moon from his own, but they were united in their shared experience of death, of the sting of mortality, and of the reminder that they could not stretch on for eternity. Their worlds, their peoples, their ways of life could vanish in a single moment.

And they also would wake from dreams of what had once been and taste nothing but the ash of memories upon their tongues.

Dreams like this reminded him that it could all be undone in an instant. The past few weeks had gone surprisingly smoothly around Midgard. His agents had proved their worth in the stability they had enforced across Midgard. Riots were squelched into peace in Los Angeles, Montreal, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro. Famine had been averted in the Horn of Africa and Siberia. His hand-chosen team of scientists and architects were already plotting how to re-purpose Midgard's inexplicable rubbish heaps into materials for rebuilding destroyed infrastructure in a way both aesthetically pleasing and more energy efficient. He would see Midgard healed and improved. Eventually. If Thanos did not make good on his threats first.

Loki pulled his cloak tighter around him and suddenly loathed the spot he found himself in. It felt too exposed, too bare. He spirited himself away and returned to the comfort of the walls of his stolen room. He barricaded the door tighter than he ever had before, buried himself in his bed under his blankets, and covered himself with a magic-induced slumber.

Frigga always warned him of the potency of that spell. Not even her magic could wake him if he used this spell, but he wished for nothing in all the realms to wake him. He wished to hide himself away-from dreams, from memories, from responsibilities-and so he did.

He never saw the blue-cloaked figure who entered his room during his slumber. He never suspected another's interference in the affairs of Midgard while he slept. He did not see the guardian appointed to keep watch over him. Instead, he simply lost himself in the solitude of dreamless oblivion.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Two weeks later, Loki woke to a rumbling sound against his head and the feeling of some kind of creature touching him. In a foggy haze, he stretched out his hand to feel something unmistakably alive beside him on his bed. He opened one eye. There, he saw what at first glance appeared to be a small, orange feline. Yet, it could not be a cat for magic and power rolled off the creature in unearthly waves. He sat upright and transported himself to the other side of the room and gave the creature a wary glance from head-to-toe.

For the love of Midgard, why was a Flerkin in the SHIELD headquarters and, even worse, on his bed? He pulled a knife and held it towards the creature to keep it away from him. The Flerkin yawned, stretched its back, and slowly stalked towards him. As Loki prepared to lunge to ward off the dangerous beast before it forced him into a dimensional pocket for all eternity, he paused. He could sense traces of Tesseract energy still radiating off the creature as if the beast had been long-acquainted with the relic. The Flerkin appeared nonplussed by his defensive posture and insisted on rubbing its face against his ankle. The resounding vibration again filled the room.

"Be gone, beast," he hissed. The Flerkin only quirked his whiskered head at him and stared at him with its feline eyes. Loki sighed. He hoped if he left, the beast would leave him be. Such a long reprieve was a luxury he should not have indulged in. He would need to see what kind of state Midgard had fallen into during his absence. But first, he required sustenance. He transformed his appearance to that of a SHIELD agent and slowly cracked opened the door of his chambers.

To his dismay, the Flerkin insisted on following him down the hall. Loki hissed at the creature and attempted to shoo it away. He only succeeded in finding a furry body taking ownership of his feet and continuing to rub against his legs.

He looked up at the ceiling as if the tiles could rescue him. He did not wish to anger the beast, nor did he wish to befriend it. A Flerkin was a foe to be treated with healthy respect and distance. He made a sudden dash down the hall and, once free of his follower, he transported himself across the facility to an empty closet near the cafeteria.

He slipped into the cafeteria to obtain some overly salted, overly preserved Midgardian excuse for sustenance and contented himself to eat in a deserted corner. He could overhear chatter and banter and idle talk from groups of SHIELD workers strewn about also taking their meals.

It was the gossip of the place now. SHIELD would be relocating to two new locations within six months. The new secret underground locations would have impressive security clearance and would be located within two separate polities on two different continents to ensure no repeats of the complications of The Fall.

Loki smirked. He knew Fury suspected. Fury was too shrewd not to. Fury had sent agents to shadow Pierce's every move and report back to him if the man so much as brushed as teeth. It would only be a matter of time before Loki would free the man from the mind spell-only to imprison him physically for his past misdeeds. Pierce would, once again, prove himself unintentionally useful to Loki.

But Loki needed to find a replacement minion and that was proving difficult. As he continued to mull through possible paths and probably outcomes, his attention was drawn outward to the nearest table behind him.

"Marsha, I'll be right back," a man said. "I'm gonna get some sugar for my coffee. Do you need anything?"

"Nah, Bill, I'm good. Thanks!" a woman replied and Loki watched as the black-suit clad agent walked to retrieve some sugar packets and then rejoin his table mates.

Loki stared at the station of condiments the man had vacated and he smirked again. He released a minimal amount of his magic-just enough. The man poured his sugar into his coffee and carefully stirred. He stopped his inane conversation long enough to take a sip.

"Yuck!" the man spat. Loki turned in time to see the look of disgust on his face and the puddle of coffee strewn across the table.

"What?" the woman asked. She jumped backwards and busily mopped her shirt with a napkin, irritation marring her face.

"The packet said 'sugar' clear as day but that sure as hell wasn't sugar. That was salt!"

"I thought you liked salted caramel," the woman responded.

"Yeah but there's sugar and caramel involved in that. Not straight salt. I swear I dumped like five packets of pure salt into this. No amount of sugar or caramel would fix that."

"So you thought I'd be better off wearing it?" she said in disgust. Then the woman wrinkled her nose and sniffed at his cup.

Loki chuckled and left them still cleaning up the mess. He tossed another flick of magic across the cafeteria. He would enjoy his breakfast more if everyone around him amply sprinkled their scrambled eggs with sugar the following morning instead of salt. (He hoped it would prove as amusing a diversion as the day he ordered his band of Winter Soldiers to perform an Asgardian jig in the center of the National Mall. Or the day he cast an illusion of a set of eyes on the back of Fury's head. That day still made him snicker to himself.)

He lost all his momentary mirth when he found the small, orange and white furry body of the Flerkin waiting for him at the cafeteria door. Despite his disguise, the creature intentionally sought him out and despite his best efforts, the creature insisted on shadowing his every movement. When he traveled to the laboratories, the Flerkin followed. When he visited the communication center, the creature attached itself to his ankle. It wasn't until Loki entered the office of Director Fury that the creature would even leave his sight.

"I see you've met Goose," Fury said when Loki entered _(dressed as Thor, of course)._

"Goose?" Loki asked, raising one eyebrow. "You named one of the most dangerous beasts in the Nine Realms after an edible waterfowl?"

"Yeah, well, I didn't name him," Fury responded.

oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

It was time. Loki needed to investigate the coordinates given to him by Mrs. Johnson's mysterious contact. Affairs in Midgard had calmed enough to allow him to consider taking such a journey. The Midgardian Bifrost progressed, though not as quickly as he would like. And, most importantly, he could use the diversion.

Odin had spoken highly of his journeys through these regions of Midgard. Even Bor, ever the kingly image of stoicism and severity, had been impressed by the kingdoms he saw in his travels through the kingdoms of Egypt, or so Odin sometimes told them. During Loki's youth, Odin spoke of his earlier travels through the mighty kingdoms of Aksum and Nubia. He told of the great cities of Meroë and Mosylon and their expansive trade networks connecting the scattered Midgardians polities through exchanges of goods.

All Asgardians who traveled to these parts before Odin's ban, praised their mighty kings, impressive architecture, fearsome beasts, and even fiercer warriors. Of these, the greatest of all, had been the Kingdom of Shenga. Odin, Bor, and even Buri had been guests in the courts of this ancient kingdom during their Midgardian travels. Even then, it was highly spoken of for its technology and civilization and its warriors that even rivaled the strength of Aesir.

As Loki searched through maps and records, he could not find a single mention of Shenga or its capital at Birnin Zana. It was as if it had never existed in the historical records or annals of Midgard. They chronicled such minutiae as the drainage systems of cities in the Indus Valley, the refuse of Grecian cities, and the written laws of Ur. How could they misplace or forget about a land as once great as that of Shenga? How could such a land simply vanish?

In his initial research into the mysterious coordinates he had been given, Loki had not been sure it was the same location. However, as he slipped through the secret pathways and emerged outside the supposed borders of the country, his doubts vanished. What had once been known as Shenga must now be called Wakanda.

As Loki neared the border, Loki shielded himself from view and came to the edge of what at first appeared to be a forest. Upon further inspection he could feel the hum of energy pulsating in every direction and he knew.

It was all an illusion. An elaborate, powerful, brilliant deception. He neared the illusion and could feel its invisible power humming around him as he neared. Then he hit an invisible barrier with a jolt. He stopped and pushed against it with his hand but he could not pass through it. He then projected his magic through and what he could sense took his breath away.

It was a thriving city full of greater power than any of the cities of Midgard combined could achieve. The coordinates he had received would place him deep within that city. Someone had sent him here for a reason and he intended to discover that reason.

He carefully and invisibly walked the length of the shield until a collection of armed men drew near. They rode upon powerful horned beasts and carried spears and shields in their blanketed arms. They road straight towards him and he froze.

It wasn't possible. He was invisible. Yet, they came closer and closer and pointed in his direction. An older man accompanying them reached out his hands and Loki could feel the magic emanating from the man's body. True, he was hardly as strong as Loki, however Loki's mouth fell agape in the shock of seeing a Midgardian practicing magic at any level, let alone so aptly as to be able to distinguish traces of his own magic.

They could sense him. He couldn't deny it now. Somehow, they knew he was there. He vanished himself. He would need to form another plan in order to gain entry into Wakanda.

ooooooooooooo

* * *

T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda, stared quietly out the tall window of his throne room onto the bustling streets of Birnin Zana below him. High speed trains and agile hovercrafts swiftly passed through the through the tall buildings and tiled walkways between them. The setting sun shone off the bronzed roofs of the towers and made the entire city seem alive with light. In only a few more moments, the sun would slip below the distant mountains and into the forests and away from Wakanda. This was his favorite time of day and he drank in the sight of all Birnin Zana aglow.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps and the resounding boom of the opening of the intricately carved wooden doors to the council room.

"My King," his General said as she entered before him. She crossed her arms across her chest and bowed her head in a reverent salute. Then she clanked her metal spear against the marble floor and the echo of it bounced off the high ceilings above.

"General Okoye," T'Chaka responded with a nod of his wizened white head.

"I have a report from the Border tribe," she responded.

"_Sema. _Tell me," T'Chaka answered.

"They received an alarm of an intruder from one of the external shields," she said. "One individual approached our border and attempted to cross. When this failed, he…or she…or it scanned what they could of our internal structure and then disappeared."

T'Chaka raised one eyebrow and slowly turned to seat himself on the sturdy ebony and ivory throne. He crossed both hands below his chin and leaned towards Okoye, eyebrows furrowed deeply in concentration. He weighed his words carefully and methodically, as was his want, before he answered.

"It?"

"Yes," she responded. "We do not know what exactly_ it_ was. There was no heat signature and no visual imagery."

"Then how was the alarm triggered?" T'Chaka asked.

"None of our recently installed alarms were triggered. Our most ancient of protections sounded the alarm -the ones so old that none of the border guards even knew it was there. They had to call in Zuri to understand it."

"Aye aye aye!" T'Chaka said with a whistle, understanding dawning on his wrinkled brow. "You mean it was some kind of _mchawi_ or _mganga_ or some spirit creature who has triggered our magical protections?"

"_Indio, mfalme wangu_," she responded. "The fetishes and charms surrounding our borders have grown so old, we did not even remember they were there. We have grown so accustomed to our technological shields that we have paid little attention to the older ones. When the alarm sounded, and Zuri was called in to interpret the meaning, he discovered that, indeed, a powerful sorcerer with strong magic had been at our borders. My King, we have not seen this strong of magic since the times your ancestors' ancestors," she said solemnly.

"You mean…," he asked, and trailed off in thought.

"Yes, my King. It has to be."

"But I do not understand. He should have come to us sooner," he said, pensiveness marring his features. "I have heard tell of his return but why has he tarried so long? And why the secrecy?"

"I do not know," she responded.

"He will return. When he does, we will be ready," he said.

Okoye nodded her painted head again, saluted against her armored chest, and closed the carved doors behind her.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's note: __I use Kiswahili and not Xhosa for Wakanda in my stories. I'll explain my logic and background for Wakanda in future chapters. _

_Goose the Flerkin is from Captain Marvel...and really was the best part of the entire movie. _

_Translations:_

_Mchawi: practitioner of black magic_

_Mganga: practitioner of white magic_

_Mfalme wangu: my king_

_Indio: yes_

_Sema: speak_


	13. Chapter 13: Thanksgiving

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Thanksgiving**

* * *

Jane sat at the table of a small restaurant in Santa Fe with a companion. She fiddled with her fork instead of eating the meal placed before her. Her companion listened, asked questions, told stories and succeeded in making the scientist laugh.

Loki had arrived in Puente Antiguo a day earlier to investigate the progress of Jane's efforts. He came (without her knowledge) and watched as she flitted between data charts, star charts, and computer programs like a hummingbird taking nectar from its flowers. Her eyes stayed focused on her material as she barely took time to eat or rest. He could not doubt her enthusiasm or work ethic. He could doubt the capacity of this blasted realm to aid her efforts.

Late that night, he poured over all her plans, research, and data while she slept. While her progress was no doubt impressive by Midgardian standards, it was nowhere near impressive enough to ease his sense of foreboding. As much as he loathed the idea of it, they would need to work together if they would have any hope of succeeding before Thanos.

He decided he would call upon her in the morning. Unfortunately, the Norns, of late, took amusement in baffling his well-laid plans. Before dawn broke, the scientist flew out of her door and barreled into her car, shoes in her hands and jacket pulled over the clothes she slept in. The roar of her rickety beast of a car shook the ground and she disappeared down the dusty roads of the desert town. Loki barely managed to hide himself in the back seat in time to accompany her on her journey.

He could not fathom her hurry as she drove three quarters of an hour through the desert to reach the nearby city. She ordered coffee and a bag of something that smelled like eggs from a machinated voice at a restaurant window before she parked her car and began her quest by foot. Till midday, she visited stores, offices, junkyards, and businesses. She gathered bits of technology, chemical compounds, thick books, and boxes full of materials. He assumed she felt these all would prove useful to her task, but he could not fathom why she gathered some of the materials she did. All the while, he caught her mumbling calculations and narrations of her tasks to herself under her breath. From time-to-time, she paused to roll up her plaid sleeve to read through a list written on the back of her hand and overflowing onto her wrist and forearm.

The desert sun blared down upon them before she took a reprieve. Loki had just decided to leave the woman to her dizzying quest when he saw her pull up to a small restaurant with a flashing yellow bull on its signpost and letters that spelled "tacos" beneath. At the door, a younger woman greeted Jane with a warm, lip-sticked smile and a shrill shriek.

Loki, unsure whether prompted more by his desire to escape tedium or the word "churros" written on the window, decided he would join them. He disguised himself in casual clothes and the face of the Voldstaadt in his youth and sat at a table nearby the two women. He refused the waitress' attempt to show him a menu and instead ordered a dozen churros. He settled in to partake of his meal and shamelessly eavesdrop.

The topics proved mundane at first. They discussed studies and Midgardian cultural storytelling. Her companion, Darcy, proved a deft conversationalist and carefully swerved the conversation away from cheerful banter and into an investigation of Jane's emotional status and well-being. Loki nearly lost interest until the topic turned to Thor. In past seasons of his life, he would be discussed to hear their fawning over his brother. But now, after so many months on Midgard, he drank it in with an enthusiasm he would be loath to admit even to himself.

"So, you've seen him?" Darcy prompted.

"Yeah. A few times."

"And?"

"I don't know, Darcy," Jane said with a slight huff. "He's different now than he used to be. I think he's overwhelmed-you know, with grief, with getting stuck here, with everything. He's not the same as he used to be. He's moodier, more distant, more aloof. He avoids me like the plague but he kinda needs me so he talks to me when he can't avoid me anymore."

"That sucks," Darcy said.

"Yeah. It does. I mean, I kinda figured. Nothing says 'I'm not that into you' like disappearing without a trace for two years. But I'm a little dense sometimes, I guess."

"You're not dense," Darcy began and stopped mid-sentence. "I take it back. You are totally super dense. But what I mean is that in this particular instance, you aren't. He was, like, a total hottie and he literally fell from heaven and into your life. That bod, those eyes, that whole chivalry thing…after he got rid of the arrogant craziness, I mean…it was totally romance movie material.

"Jane, then he spoke to you of the stars and other galaxies. You'd fall for a man as attractive as a poodle if he batted his eyes at you and spoke star-lore and science with you all night. That's, like, your love language or something.

"But add to it that you then raided a government facility, got attacked by a giant robot, and he saved your life by giving his own and then flew…I repeat, _he flew_…back into the stars. Jane, any girl would have fallen head over heels for a guy in those circumstances. Especially you with where you were at then. You'd just gone through a nasty break up with a total jerk. You were stuck in the middle of a desert with no one but Erik and me and the cowboy drunks at the bar as company. Yeah, you were ripe for the taking and all he had to do was blow a kiss and you'd have followed him to the moon and back."

"Darcy, you're making me sound super lame," Jane complained.

"No, simply human. Jane, you kinda suck at social interactions and getting out of your bubble and making any attempts at normality."

"Not helping."

"No, no, hear me out. What I mean-is don't be too hard on yourself. Your thing for Thor-totally normal. Actually, I was pretty relieved to see you acting like a normal, hot-blooded woman. If you hadn't fallen for him, I'd have thought something _was _wrong with you."

"But it wasn't real!" Jane said, exasperated. "I didn't really know him, he didn't really know me. That's lame. It wasn't love. It was lust and excitement and novelty, but it wasn't love."

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean it wasn't important to you and meaningful to you. And it doesn't mean you wouldn't do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"Yeah. I guess. I think I was just a little disappointed. I built him up too much in my head and so badly wanted us to continue where we had left off. Like you said, he was too perfect. So, now it's fixed. He's still pretty perfect except for the whole 'not being into me' thing. I just feel stupid and my self-esteem has taken a beating, but I'll be fine."

"Meh. Hardly perfect, cause really, who is? Besides, it's for the best. I mean, I've heard cross-cultural relationships are tough-but cross-species? Dude, I don't even want to think about the levels of weirdness that could entail. I mean, maybe his kind, like, lay eggs or glow in the dark or turn green when it rains or something. And talk about distance! Hah, girl, you are way better off sticking with a measly, hammerless mortal!"

Jane laughed. "You're right. You're right. Back to reality…and nerdy science geeks with their disheveled hair and jeans that don't fit…."

Darcy interrupted her. "No, no, no! Those ones who forget to stare at your face when you talk and secretly fantasize about playing Xbox with you at night? Please, no. You can do better than that, Dr. Foster. Don't settle. You settled with that last loser you dated and I'm going to knock you upside the head if you do it again."

"He was safe," Jane said.

"No, he was lame…and he left his socks in the refrigerator."

"Only when he was distracted by medical journals," Jane said, breaking into a laugh.

"Who does that? No, Jane. _That_ should have been a red flag right there."

"Ah, I've missed you, Darcy," Jane said, laughing and taking Darcy's hand.

"You too, Doc," Darcy replied with a wide grin. "I might apply for another internship with you in a year or so when I catch up on my classes. I think I got more social science exposure through watching people around the lab in Puente Antiguo than in two years of Poly Sci classes."

"I'd love that," Jane said.

"Me too," Darcy said and pushed her glasses farther up her nose. "How's it been, you know, at the lab?"

"Good…," Jane began till she caught the look in Darcy's eyes. "Fine, fine, it's been awful. I'm a train wreck, Dar. With Erik gone and you gone and everything else that's gone on, I'm so hyper aware of my isolation there. I mean, even a lot of Puente Antiguo hasn't fully returned or been rebuilt. I can go days without a conversation with anyone except Mrs. Jiménez."

"Aw! I miss her. Tell her I will be coming soon so she can continue my knitting lessons. But SHIELD has got you busy now, right?"

"No!" Jane said vehemently. "I am_ not_ working for SHIELD. I am helping Thor out to get home, but that's it."

"Uh huh. And Thor happens to work for SHEILD and pays you with SHIELD money," Darcy said.

"Well, a girl's gotta eat," Jane replied halfheartedly as she twirled her fork again. "I've tried. I've really tried to find some other positions. A few universities were interested before, well, everything fell apart. Now, it seems like most are skittish about the future and a hiring freeze is plaguing everyone. All my colleagues I've talked to have said the same. The global economy is such a mess that no one is sure what next year or the one after will be like."

"Can you go work somewhere else? You know, a spot with less memories and more people and more to do?"

"I might. I was thinking about going back to L.A. or something but I don't know. It's still pretty messy there, too. Then I thought about Hawaii but I didn't want to get stranded there in case there's another attack on the airports."

"I hear ya. Isolated islands in the middle of the Pacific who depend on spam for protein probably are to be avoided for awhile. Seriously, though, you're always welcome at my mom's here in Santa Fe. We've got a spare bedroom and she makes great muffins and would love someone to watch the Bachelor with."

"Thanks, Dar. I appreciate. I might…especially, ummm," Jane trailed off and bit her lip in hesitation.

"Spit it out," Darcy said. She leaned her chin on her hands and leaned closer to Jane to impel her to speak.

"The holidays. Can I come for the holidays? The last few years, I went to Sweden with Erik…I don't think I could manage it…," she said and stopped abruptly, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Darcy cut her off before she could continue. "Enough said, Boss Lady. You'll love the holidays at the Lewis house…let me tell you, it's the best! Last year, my aunt brought her pet squirrels for Christmas and my uncle tried to blow up the garage. You'll fit right in!"

"They won't mind?"

"Mind? Heck no! My thirteen year old brother will immediately fall in love with you and ask you to play Minecraft with him. My dad will be so excited to have a fresh audience for his terrible jokes that we will all have to sit through his entire arsenal of puns. My mom will make sure you've eaten enough for three people and try to marry you off to my cousin Billy. Grandpa Jim won't remember he's met you so you can impress him every day with all your science jargon. It'll be the best!"

Jane threw her arms around Darcy. "Thank you!" she whispered.

Loki groaned. He knew what holidays meant on Asgard-revels, feasts, and extended periods of time away from one's regular duties. He made a mental note to look into the timing and traditions of whatever Midgardian celebrations would soon descend upon him to disorganize his schedule. He finished off another order of churros before the women said their farewells and made plans to meet again in another two weeks. He would give Jane a few gentle hints in the morning to set her research in the appropriate directions and then take the next few weeks to plan and prepare.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

"Come in here and meet everyone," Mrs. Johnson said and pulled Loki through a small hallway and into an orange and cream colored kitchen. The small room overflowed with bodies and dishes and pans and chairs and cheerful chaos. The air hung heavy with roasting game and baking pastries.

"Hey! Here he is! Meet the nice young man I told you about! This is Lucas. He's the one that built that beautiful greenhouse for me in my garden at home. Now my flowers can grow all year! Isn't he a dear? Lucas, meet my brother-in-law, Mark. His wife, Sandy. Those are their three children over there-Olivia, Landon, and Grace. Here's Sandy's sister and her husband and their baby, Liam. My mother-in-law will be over in a bit and so will her sister, Aunty Eleanor," Mrs. Johnson said in a rush. She barely took time to breath between sentences as she introduced him to person after person.

"Now, here's someone that you really must meet," she continued. Her face almost glowed with her happiness and the fluster of activity in the hot room. She pulled a strand of peppered hair behind her ear and rubbed her hands on her floral dress. "This is José."

A tall, gangly boy caught somewhere between boyhood and manhood politely shook Loki's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lucas," he said.

Mrs. Johnson beamed. "I ran into him a few months ago at the memorial. He was my son's best friend for most of his childhood. They grew up causing all kinds of mischief together. Well, we were catching up together and I found out that he lost all his family, the same as I lost mine. We decided to make an arrangement. We can never replace what we've lost, but we can make the best of what we've got and make something new. He's no longer stuck in one of those mass emergency government facilities that's overflowing with new orphans and I'm no longer stuck by myself all the time. He's been helping me in my garden lately."

The boy gave a shy smile and Mrs. Johnson gave him a quick hug and ruffled his dark hair.

"I'm glad to hear it," Loki said.

"Speaking of which, you have to come see my tomatoes! That greenhouse is a miracle worker! I've never seen so many tomatoes!" she said happily.

Loki grinned. She didn't need to know about the magic imbued in the soil or within the foundations of the greenhouse to ensure she always saw a plentiful harvest in her garden. It had taken him a full week to complete, but the overwhelming joy on her face when she saw it proved more than compensation for his efforts.

Of late, Loki, in honor of Thor, tried to do something very "Thor-like" on Thursdays. Whether a valiant rescue, charitable and audacious venture, or giving the cure to some Midgardian ailment long since considered incurable, he chose a different mission each Thursday morning and ended the day with a new token at the memorial site at nightfall.

However, that was only on Thursdays. Wednesdays, or Odin's days, he committed to politics and rebuilding Midgardian infrastructure. He really disliked Wednesdays. (Unfortunately, Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays tended to look a lot like Wednesdays most of the time. He disliked those days almost as much as he disliked Wednesdays.)

Sundays were Loki's day. He used his Sundays to do as he pleased. Whether to build a greenhouse for Mrs. Johnson, play tricks on the SHIELD agents, or simply sleep the entire day, they were his days. Some Sundays, he spent his time telling stories to Mjolnir about the adventures of his week. Other days, he wandered Midgard looking for churros. A few times, he lost himself for all the daylight hours in a library or museum.

Occasionally, he found amusement in creating mischief for Jane Foster. The bewildered expression on her face made him readily plot his next. His interference with a songbird one week made the bird sing recognizable Midgardian tunes and proved the only distraction successful in derailing Jane Foster from her research for any length of time. The bird did not fit into any of her scientific frameworks and so she felt entirely compelled to figure it out and could not focus on anything else while the mystery remained. She lost half a day of research but her intense curiosity to discover why the bird was behaving as it was proved well-worth the loss of her focus.

Some Sundays, Loki visited with Mrs. Johnson in her greenhouse and they had their own, what Mrs. Johnson called, "family dinners" together. On those evenings, instead of telling their stories to ghosts of those they had once loved, they shared a meal and told stories to each other. Mrs. Johnson told him all about her latest books and the antics of her brother-in-law's ill-trained dog. He told her all about the "cat" who had adopted him and his failed efforts to free himself from Goose.

It was on one of these evenings that Mrs. Johnson invited him to their family Thanksgiving.

"What do you mean you don't have any plans? Don't be absurd! You are coming to join us! No one should be alone on Thanksgiving, especially not this year. No, don't even start with all your b.s. excuses. You are coming," she commanded.

Thus, Loki arrived on the doorstep of the Newark town home with a loaf of bread and a bottle of Midgardian mead in hand.

It was a boisterous feast, overflowing with what they called their "traditional foods," revels, and story-telling. The small dining room could not handle so many people and so they poured over into the sitting room and onto the chilly courtyard behind the house. Children rushed between adult legs, giggling and with hands stuffed with sweets. Neighbors and relatives came and went as the evening wore on.

"It is our tradition to say what we are thankful for before the meal," Mark, the owner of the home, said as they all gathered together before they partook of the main courses. "This year is a different year for all of us. We can all be thankful that we are here together."

Mark stopped his speech with a choke and tears began to pool under his eyes. His wife rushed over to him with a handkerchief and took his hand in hers. His eyes were not the only to grow moist.

"I'm thankful you all are here with me," he finally continued. "I just wish there were a few more of us still here. In honor of my brother, my nieces and nephew, and so many others, I propose a toast to their memory. Our hearts are sore without you here."

Glasses filled with wine and mead and apple cider clinked around the room, joining with gentled sniffles and whispers of "here, here."

"I propose a toast as well," Mrs. Johnson said, and glanced towards Loki and Jose. "To new friends, to new family, and to a new chance at living life to the fullest. May our hearts and homes ever be full, even as we forever miss what has been lost."

"Here, here!"

It was hours later when the last tray of pie and coffee was removed and most of the family members had bid their farewells. Loki sat in the courtyard next to a glowing fire pit, fresh cup of coffee in hand, and listening to Mrs. Johnson tell stories of past holidays with the family. After a particularly humorous account, she stopped and began to tear up again.

"I know that change is inevitable. That still doesn't make it easier," she whispered.

"There is naught among the land of the living that makes death easier, save long-held promises what is next. The soul knows it should be eternal. The body is claimed by mortality. There is no true alleviation for such dissonance," Loki said. He lost himself for a moment in the stories of Valhalla he had heard told from his boyhood.

"I suppose not."

"We have a saying in my home country. For us, death is symbolized as a mighty venomous serpent. To say someone is 'tied under the serpent' is to be in the throngs of grief. This grief is likened to the venom of the snake which is dropped on you little by little. As soon as you feel you may have recovered, another drop falls and causes your heart and soul to writhe anew. The agony can feel so strong that we say it causes the very earth to shake around the person in grief."

"That's apt. It certainly feels like that sometimes," she said and fell into her own thoughts for a moment. "Lucas, your brother is not the first you have lost. I can tell. You bear older sorrow in you. Who else?"

Loki sighed and stared into the golden flames, letting them mesmerize him away from the past and the present for another moment.

"I may look a youth, but I have seen many years. This was the second brother the serpent has stolen from me. And, like you, I know what it is to lose one's beloved and one's children. I have traveled that road twice and I would not wish that pain on my worst enemy."

Mrs. Johnson sighed heavily and took his hand in hers. "I'm sorry," she said. The both fell into silence and continued to watch the flames rise and fall between them.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Over a month later, when dawn broke over the desert in streaks of gold and rose, Loki still slept soundly on the rooftop of Jane's lab. It was not until the sun's rays grew powerful enough to scorch his skin and call sweat from his brow that his eyes first blinked against the bright morning light.

He had fallen asleep staring at the strange Midgardian stars above him that night. He could see so many more here than he could from the cities which now captured most of his time. Lost in the swirls of glittering sparks of light above him, sleep had claimed him more deeply than it had for some time. He woke now feeling more refreshed than he had been for many nights.

He could hear sounds of life beneath him coming from Jane's portable dwelling structure. The metal abode swayed and creaked as her footsteps paced the small distance from one side to the other. She would be preparing for the day, not knowing that he would soon be at her door. He smirked and sent a small waft of magic through her home and lab.

Then he sat to listen. It was not long after that he heard her muffled curses and bumps as she sought her lost shoes in every crevice and storage facility in her small home. He heard her door slam open and she began to meander through her lab. Cupboards and drawers continued to open and close with increasing intensity.

He decided it was now the appropriate time. He disguised himself as Thor and knocked on her door. He heard her muffled voice as she murmured to herself in irritation. It took a second knock before she arrived to answer his summons. She opened the door with a flustered face, bare feet, and two mismatched left shoes in her hands.

"Hey, Thor," she said in a huff as she blew a strand of hair from her face. "Come in, come in! It's good to see you again! Sorry, I can't find my shoes today. It's the weirdest thing. Somehow, when I woke up, all my right shoes are just gone. I can't find them anywhere."

"That is peculiar," Loki responded with a smug grin. He decided he might just stay long enough to see her expression when she discovered all of her right shoes in her refrigerator. She welcomed him inside and he forced himself to maintain his patience as she led them through the obligatory small talk. When he could bear it now longer, he poorly feigned nonchalance as he told her, "Jane, I have found it."

"Found what?" she asked, a yawn interrupting her words.

"Your power source," he said. "We will need to travel immediately."

"Ummm. Ok. Where are we going?" she asked.

"Wakanda."

"Ummm, yeah, that doesn't help. Where?"

Loki smirked. "Be ready to leave in three days."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	14. Chapter 14: Wakanda

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Wakanda**

* * *

The SHIELD jet took them as far as Kampala.

"Wakanda doesn't allow tourists so do not be surprised if you do not gain entry," their SHEILD pilot told them as they landed at the Entebbe airport. "They also do not have an airport, so this is the closest you can come."

"I'm sure it doesn't," Loki said, rolling his eyes and holding in his smirk. He was trying. He really was. However, after a 20 hour flight he was more than tired of pretending to be Thor and even more tired of attempting to keep up polite conversation with Jane Foster. He should have simply met her here.

"I don't understand why you didn't just, you know,_ vooop_ us here with your hammer," Jane said as she stretched again and struggled to stand on her shaking legs.

"Voop? Really, Dr. Foster-your eloquence astounds. How many suitcases did you carry, might I ask?" he answered.

She shrugged and gave him a knowing glance. "A couple?"

"How, pray tell, am I to carry you _and_ that interminable pile of luggage and still manage to keep a grasp on Mjolnir? Lady Jane, as you have already sought to convince me, you require all this luggage for your research, as well as your comfort and your convenience and so we have flown here in comfort and convenience."

"If that's what you call it," she said with a slight groan. "Ugh. I need a shower and a nap!"

"You have done nothing but nap and sit still since you boarded this flying vehicle," he responded.

"And read. A lot of reading…and more movies than I've watched in years. I was really behind in my pop culture. I feel ready to converse with any teenager now."

"Indeed. I congratulate you."

Jane gave him a searching expression and he quickly replaced his sarcastic glower with a feigned cheerfulness.

"You are different," she said.

"Different than the three days I spent with you over two years ago? I should hope so," he responded.

She did not answer but shrugged and moved to gather her belongings and disembark.

The thick, humid air swallowed them as they opened the door of the plane and looked out on the silvery expanse of the ocean-like Lake Victoria. The air was rich with the scent of charcoal and diesel fuel, wet earth and growing plants. Red soil and lush, green vegetation warred for dominance against the pale, shallow blue of the equatorial sky.

Fresh rooms and a hot meal met them at the Sheraton hotel in downtown Kampala. Through the bustle and endless noise of the taxis, _boda bodas_, and millions of bodies filling the cramped, hilly urban jungle, they somehow found their way to their hotel.

"We leave tomorrow at dawn," Loki told her. Jane nodded and retreated into her room.

Oooooooooooooo

Their Ugandan driver loaded all of Jane's suitcases and equipment into the back of a Toyota van and opened the door for her to enter the front seat beside him. The man gave her a wide, toothy grin and asked her questions while Loki finished paying for their rooms and organized for their departure. Loki, still dressed in Thor's physical frame, now wore a neat, light blue collared shirt and freshly pressed khaki pants. He held a notebook in his hand and slid into the car. Once seated, he pulled a pair of silver rimmed spectacles from his pocket and placed them on his nose. He caught Jane staring at him curiously.

"What's with the get-up?" she asked.

While not understanding her choice of words, he did understand her meaning.

"We are researchers attempting to seek permission to enter Wakanda to conduct our studies," he said. He frowned as their driver burst into laughter.

"Eeee eee eee,_ ssebo_! Forgive me," the man said, meeting Loki's glower in his rear view mirror. "You wish to gain entry to Wakanda for research? Not even Bill Gates himself was allowed into their borders and he has more money than the presidents of Uganda and Kenya combined! They do not like outsiders but most especially, they do not like _bazungu._ They will not let you in just like that."

"I thank you for your concern," Loki responded coldly, "but you have been hired to drive and not to speak."

Jane turned to glare at him before she turned to the driver's chided face with an apologetic expression and began to ask him about his family. She spent the remainder of the drive getting to know Mr. Ssebagala and ignoring Loki completely. Loki, grateful for the respite, fell into silence.

After his failed attempts at seeking legal permission to enter through the Wakandan embassy in Washington D.C., he decided he would prefer to arrive in person at their borders and make another attempt. If that failed, he would resort to more creative methods.

At Lukaya, the town bordering the main entrance into Wakanda, their driver stopped.

"This is as far as I can take you," he responded. "The border is 2 kilometers away from here. I wish you all the best."

Ssebagala unloaded their luggage and took it into the tiny hotel nearby. Their two rooms proved to be half of the suites of the hotel. The grey and black haired woman with a gapped tooth smile gave them a warm welcome and assured them the running water would be back that evening-along with the electricity.

Loki groaned inwardly, gave her a false smile, and thanked her.

"Let's go," he said to Jane after their hostess cleared away their lunch dishes.

She turned an inquisitive glance to him. He could tell her mind was brimming with questions but she chose to refrain from voicing them. He felt that was a small victory on his side.

They walked the 2 kilometers down the dusty dirt road leading into Wakanda and stopped as they entered a well-guarded gateway manned by six men with AK 47's, jaunty black hats, and green uniforms. A large sign spelled out "Welcome to Wakanda" over them in twelve different languages and a spiked gate showed that, despite what the letters spelled out, they really weren't welcome to Wakanda.

A small line of a dozen or so people stood by the gateway showing passports and paperwork. Women with baskets of wares on their heads, men on bicycles with bundles of_ matooke_, and children with bound chickens all queued before the gate. One man in a black suit waited next to a shiny black Mercedes. The guards flashed each prospective visitor a wide grin, carefully looked over their paperwork, asked them questions in a variety of languages, and either bid them enter or turned them away.

Dozens of eyes fell upon them and stared in hushed fascination as Loki and Jane waited their turn. Some openly gawked, while others spoke in whispers to each other in their native tongues. When they arrived at the window, Loki flashed his widest, most Thor-like grin and greeted the guards.

"I am Dr. Odinson from the University of Toronto and this is my colleague, Dr. Jane Foster. We are seeking entry to study some of the unique geological phenomena of your country," he said.

The guards all turned to each other and burst into laughter, which Loki did not appreciate.

"I am sorry, Dr. Odinson. We do not grant academic visas…or work visas….or any other kind of visa into Wakanda. Uganda is a very nice country. I suggest you complete your research from there."

"I am afraid I must insist," Loki said, staring the man in the eyes meaningfully. He placed a large stack of currency on the desk. "We will be happy to speak with whoever we must, and, if more is required, we will happily give it."

The guard stared back at him just as forcibly and pushed the stack of currency back towards Loki. _"Neda, ssebo_. I am afraid_ I _must insist," he responded coolly. "If you continue to waste my time, I will forcibly remove you from our borders."

Loki laughed inwardly and wished to see that happen-till he remembered his difficult to replace and rather fragile (and somewhat bothersome) mortal pet and cursed. He placed a forced smile on his face and bid them farewell. He took Jane's arm and took her outside.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now, we sneak in," he said with a wicked grin.

"We sneak?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes. Do you wish to dissent?"

"No. Its just-Thor, you walked straight into a SHIELD facility by yourself. You never struck me as the kind for 'sneaking'."

"Perhaps, I've gained caution and a healthier respect for the lives of those around me who could get caught in the crossfire," he responded without facing her.

She placed a small hand on his forearm briefly, but remained silent. He waved his hand and they both vanished. They reappeared at the space along the border that he had previously explored. As far as they could see, nothing lay before them but dense tropical forest.

"Woah!" Jane said, breath leaving her in a rush as she lost her balance and fell against him. "What a rush! How did you do that?"

"Magic," he responded shortly.

"Is that easier than flying?" she asked.

"When I wish to be covert, yes."

"Oh," Jane responded. She watched as he felt his way towards the invisible barrier. He called on his magic and began to feel through the strength of the barrier. He sought for a crack or a fissure-some way to force his way through. He did not know if it would work, but he hoped he could create a hole small enough for them to crawl through. His eyes could not see through the barrier, but his magic could feel its way through to sense what was behind. If needed, he could disguise them on the other side until he could figure out a more plausible reason for them to be here. Jane sat on the ground nearby and simply watched him as he worked.

An hour later, his deep concentration was broken by the sound of approaching vehicles. A small, flying vehicle and series of horned beasts all approached their location. The vehicle landed not far from them and a white haired, wrinkled face old man in an embroidered blue and black shirt and trousers exited the helicopter. A contingent of guards surrounded him and walked towards them.

The old man paused and signaled with his hand. Loki could feel a small doorway form in the shield nearby. Four women in red and silver armor carrying spears passed through. They stood on each side and the old man walked through and stood in the center of their ranks. Loki could feel the legion of warriors standing guard behind them, hidden by the shield, but ready to intervene at a moment's notice.

Jane squeaked in surprise when she saw the figures materialize from what appeared, in her eyes, to be from thin air. She stood up and backed herself against a tree and stared.

The old man stared at Loki, eyes penetrating through him. They held no fear or surprise. Instead it was Loki's eyes which held surprise as the old man spoke a greeting in high Asgardian and gave a solemn nod of his head.

"Who are you?" Loki asked, more out of curiosity than accusation.

"I am T'Chaka, King of Wakanda. We are honored to receive you again, Kiwanuka," the old king said, arms outstretched. I never thought I would live to see the day. Stories of your last visit have been passed on from our kin for over 400 years. I doubt we have enough _malwa_ to quench your thirst, but we will be happy to share what we have."

Loki looked at the king as if he had suddenly turned into a horned middelsweir calf.

"I am hoping our previous treaty remains," T'Chaka continued, his eyes still piercing into Loki's. "During the long friendship between our kingdoms, we have sought to honor our pledges. Your hammer, it still serves you well?"

Loki allowed his Midgardian garb to transform into his illusion of Thor's scarlet armor. He held up the illusion of Mjolnir before him and the king appeared pleased. He had never heard tell of Thor's visits to this Midgardian kingdom and he felt unsettled by the long memory of the old king.

"Your father paid us a king's ransom for the vibranium ore necessary for its construction. He spoke with joy of the great plans he had for his son," T'Chaka said. "Now, your sister will not return, yes? The damage you brought us was minimal over, but she is still spoken of as a curse of the darkest of legends. I would rather die a thousand deaths than have Hela allowed back onto this land."

"Now I know you jest. I have no sister," Loki said, confidence growing.

The old king looked upon him again, a thoughtful expression upon his face. "Now, Kiwanuka, why do we find you hiding around our walls like a mamba hiding in the grasses? You had only to knock on our front door and we would welcome you gladly. Have you forgotten?"

"After so many years, I assumed I would be forgotten," Loki said.

"Four hundred years is too small a time to forget you if we had not forgotten your father after thousands of years. Come, Kiwanuka," T'Chaka said. He turned to walk through the invisible doorway and past the barrier into Wakanda. The four women turned and followed him. Loki nodded his head at Jane to tell her to follow and they both stood with mouths agape as they walked through the doorway and the illusory forest disintegrated. In its wake, they saw an army of warriors mounted on great grey one-horned beasts and carrying shields and spears.

Loki suddenly gasped as he felt his magic restrained by an invisible force stronger than iron chains. Jane's face morphed into an expression of shock as she stared at him.

"This is not Kiwanuka, baba. He is an imposter," a small, waiflike girl said, coming from behind the ranks of warriors and taking the arm of the old king. "Go away, space colonizer. We want none of your kind here."

Loki's eyes fell to where his hand no longer carried Mjolnir and where a scarlet cape no longer flowed. Instead, he wore the Midgardian clothes of that morning. He grabbed a strand of his hair and saw it now flowed dark ebony instead of sunlight.

He held up both his hands in an expression of surrender before his mouth twisted into a cocky smirk.

"I am Loki, Prince of Asgard, and King of Midgard," he said. "And I believe this is my first visit to this illustrious realm. I humbly request access into the Kingdom of Wakanda."

"Prince Loki of Asgard, you have lied to the King of Wakanda," T'Chaka said gravely. "This is an offence which cannot be overlooked."

Loki lifted one eyebrow and subtly sought a knife from beneath his shirt. Before he could withdraw it, he found his hand bound by a firm cord and his arms held in the unnaturally strong arms of a man dressed entirely in shining black. Loki reached for his magic and cursed as he found he could not set it free and draw it to himself. Before he could struggle further, his eye sight grew dim, his thoughts stilled, and he knew no more.

oooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Notes: _

_A.) Language: in the Black Panther movie, they speak Xhosa, a South African language. Yet, the fictional country of Wakanda is shown on a map to be in East Africa, or over 2,200 miles away from where Xhosa is spoken. Therefore, I am going to use Swahili as my African language of choice (also a Bantu language but a commonly spoken one across East Africa). Technically Swahili doesn't even make sense to be their main language either as it's a trade language that developed from a mixture of Portuguese, Bantu, and Arabic, but it makes more sense than Xhosa in this context...and, if I'm honest, Swahili is easier for me to use than any other potential language in the region. Since the majority of you, dear readers, do not speak Swahili, I'll add in translations at the bottom of each chapter and around phrases characters are speaking to aid in understanding. It would be too boring to have it 100% English. However, since the beginning of this chapter takes place in Uganda, I am using a bit of Luganda as well._

_B.) Location: Wakanda is shown in some cases to be in north western Kenya on Lake Turkana. But, really, who wants to live in the middle of a desert? The Wakandan kingdom doesn't strike me as pastoralist nomads so we will leave the Turkana and Samburu there and move Wakanda to western Uganda/eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Theoretically, an unconquered, uncolonized kingdom of Wakanda maintained their hold during the Scramble for Africa so they maintained their land (from about Masaka to Nebbi on the Uganda side into a good chunk of the Maiko National park on the side of the DRC. This leaves them with the Rwenzori Mountains, Lake Albert, Lake Edward, and a good bit of the White Nile. I envision the Wakandan capital to be near the Rwenzori Mountains, not far from Kasese.) _

_C.) I'm combining Norse mythology with Kiganda mythology (hooray for archetypes!). Hence we get Gulu, god of the sky and his son Kiwanuka (pronounced chi-wa-nuk-a), the Thunder god who carries a hammer. Enjoy! _

_Translations:_

_Boda boda: motorcycle taxi_

_Ssebo: sir in Luganda_

_Bazungu: Luganda for people of European descent or foreigners (as used in this context)._

_Matooke: plantains_

_Neda: no in Luganda_

_Malwa: millet beer_


	15. Chapter 15:Bargains

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Bargains**

* * *

Loki woke and he stretched his taut muscles. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at strong metal bars on every side. He again called his magic to him only to have it refuse to come to him. He pulled at the metal bars but they proved stronger than ordinary Midgardian materials.

He slid back to the cold ground and picked at the tray of food that lay nearby. He failed to eat any of it. He paced from one side of his cell to the next, his thoughts in a flurry haze. He lay down and attempted to sleep again but it proved to be an unfruitful effort as he tossed and turned on the simple cot. He satisfied himself with turning towards the wall and keeping his eyes closed and his body still. At least then he could pretend oblivion.

Oooooooooooooooooo

As Loki sat in the underground prison cell, deep under the golden city of Birnin Zana, he could not see the vagrant in the dark blue hooded cloak that came to the guardian of the gateway into Wakanda. The old man walked to the border, his gate slowed by a slight limp.

The guard on duty peered through the darkness. All he could see was the dark blue cloak and the edges of a grizzled white beard. A gloved hand held a staff that helped steady him as he approached. As he neared, the old man fixed his one eye on him with such a firm, fierce gaze that the guard shifted uncomfortably.

"_Unataka nini, mzee_?" the guard asked. "What is your purpose in entering Wakanda, old man?"

"I wish to speak with the King," the old man responded.

"Our King only receives visitors with invitations," the guard said uncomfortably. This was not a normal traveler. The guard was used to curious explorers, greedy traders and businessmen, ambitious academics, and audacious tourists, but not visitors like this. The man's blue cloak fell over his impressive, but withered frame in tattered and frayed folds, as if it had been worn through many a long journey by foot through inclement weather. His feet were covered in cracked leather boots and his hands covered by worn leather gloves. His blue eyes shown with an intelligence not dimmed by age, though his age looked impressive.

"I have an invitation," the old man said. "But it was extended to me in the days of your ancestors. Kintu first welcomed me into your borders and Musenti welcomed me last. Tell your sovereign that Gulu has come."

"Yyyesss, yyyesss," the guard stammered and made a hasty transmission to Birnin Zana.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Gulu, you have come," T'Chaka said. He bowed his head in reverence and shook the gloved hand of the ancient being before him. "I am T'Chaka, King of Wakanda, and you are most welcome here. It has been many generations since Wakanda received a visit from Asgard. What brings you, All-Father?"

"You know why I have come," the blue-cloaked figure of the All-Father said.

"We meant no disrespect to your house, _bwana_. We will take you to your son immediately," T'Chaka replied.

"No," Odin said and held up one gloved hand. "He must not know of my presence here."

_"Bwana_, you will not be returning him to Asgard?"

"No. He is not ready to speak or to listen. His grief is still too strong. He must return of his own accord."

T'Chaka sat in a chair and ushered for Odin to do the same. The two kings stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

"What is it that you wish?" T'Chaka asked.

"A favor from our oldest of allies on Midgard. I bear you no ill will for your actions towards my son since he arrived at your borders, however, I have come to negotiate for his amnesty, release, and asylum in your kingdom."

"You wish him to stay in Wakanda?"

"I wish him to stay safe and well. His paths have been dark of recent days and he carries a heavy heart. He does not wish to return to Asgard yet and I fear Asgard, in our grief, is not ready to have him. But he is now the rightful heir to the throne and my last living son. If I cannot see to his safety and well-being personally, I wish to apply for it from Wakanda. I fear his actions of late have forged many enemies and few positive allies. Yet, for the survival of all the Nine Realms, he must be protected. He is pursuing paths now that will be of benefit to all. I wish his efforts to be supported and encouraged. I fear the repercussion if he is discovered by the other kingdoms on Midgard. It is much to ask. What say you?"

T'Chaka clasped his hands beneath his chin and remained quiet for a long time. He stared with an unfocused gaze at the other wall where hung a painting of an elephant with her trunk wrapped protectively around her calf.

"Your other son, Kiwanuka, where is he?"

"He gave his life in the defense of Midgard," Odin said with forced stoicism.

"I am sorry for your loss," T'Chaka said. "And your daughter?"

"She has long been banished from our realms for her ruthless ambition and lust for power. Neither of my sons know her name or of her existence. I fear when the day comes that I will join the halls of my ancestors, they will learn it and all Asgard will pay the price for these millennia of peace."

"Aye,_ bwana,_ I do not envy your place," T'Chaka said. "What is it your last born seeks?"

"He wishes to forge paths between Midgard and the other realms so the realms can unite in defense against the foes that gather strength beyond the borders of the Nine. He also wishes to destroy the weapons our shared foes wish to gather to use to quickly bring our annihilation."

"And he cannot do this from Asgard?"

"I fear he will not. He is angry with me and I fear he will sooner work against the good of Asgard than for it. However, he has adopted Midgard as his own for the time and seeks your protection. I would encourage that as a positive development."

"Aya,_ bwana_, the prince may stay. However, I agree not out of a desire to honor our alliance nor because I see it a benefit to our realm, but because I am a father. If I were in your place, I would wish to realign all the planets if it would keep my children safe."

"You have my deepest gratitude."

"I have a request in return," T'Chaka said with a slight smile.

"What do you wish?"

"My last born is too bright and too curious and too full of mischief. When peace has been restored, I would wish her to study from your scholars for a time and learn about the Nine Realms."

"I am in your debt. This is too simple a task in recompense. If you require anything else, I would grant it."

"You are certain you do not wish to see your son?"

"It would do him more harm than good, I fear. His mother and I will be watching him and waiting for him to come home. I do have one other favor to ask."

"Speak."

"My son, with what may have been or may not have been the best of intentions, has installed a league of ruffians into prominent political positions around Midgard. While it has temporarily halted the demise of your realm, I am afraid the mind spell he has used is not permanent and, if it fails, Midgard could crumble overnight even worse than it has of late. While I believe he did the best he could with the materials at his disposal, I am afraid he has acted out of intelligence and not wisdom and he knows not how to remedy his error. His pride will keep him from seeking the aid of others, to the detriment of all. These last few months, I have been travelling through Midgard, as in the days of my youth, and instating just rulers to replace those unfit to rule. I would ask your assistance in my task."

"Granted. We have watched the events unfolding around Earth with much unease."

"You do not choose to unite this realm and rule it?" Odin asked.

"_Hapana, bwana_. That is not our way. We wish only to rule those who wish us to rule. We will not conquer."

"As you wish," Odin said.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

To his surprise, Loki woke only to be released from his cell. No explanations were given. He was simply released and shown to a set of finely furnished chambers in the what he now saw to be a magnificent palace.

"The King has granted you asylum in Wakanda," a red-robed servant said. "We have been instructed to provide for your wishes. You will be shown to the laboratories to continue your research tomorrow. Your travel companion has been given a room just there."

Loki released a sigh of relief hearing that Jane had not been imprisoned. He did not expect their next interaction would be a pleasant one. He opened the carved wooden door and found himself in a brightly colored room. Tapestries and paintings of animals covered the thick, white walls. Wooden furniture covered in white cushions and brightly colored pillows lined each side of the room.

His belongings from his hotel at the border now sat on a heap of the floor of this room. He opened his suitcase and let out a cry of surprise as the furry orange face of Goose slipped out of his bag and leapt gracefully onto the red tile floor.

"Why are you here, Goose?" he asked. "How did you manage to make your way into my luggage? You are a tiresome creature. What am I to do with you now?"

In answer, the Flerkin curled itself around Loki's feet and let out a resounding purr. Loki closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not need another "pet" complicating his already complicated affairs, but it appeared the creature had other ideas.

ooooooooooooooooooo

At midday, Loki was escorted into a large dining hall for a meal of a spiced stew with something they called rice. He ate heartily, enjoying the taste of freshly cooked food. As he walked to return to his quarters, he paused mid stride. He could hear familiar steps approaching him and without looking over his shoulder, he addressed her.

"Why do you follow after me like a lost cat?" he asked tiredly.

"You owe me some explanations," Jane said firmly, attempting to mask her fear with confidence, but failing. He turned to glance at her pale, strained face and nodded. She followed him into his chambers and he ushered her to one of the plush armchairs in the sitting room.

"Why are you disguising yourself and pretending to be your brother?" she asked quietly once Loki had also seated himself with an expression like a calf being led to the slaughter. She sought her answers in his impassive features, her eyes tracing over his pale, drawn face, dark hair, and green eyes with a curious, hesitant intensity. Loki met her gaze, well aware it was the first time she was speaking to him as Loki and not as Thor.

"Because I wish to hide myself from possible harm. Because my brother is dead and none will give weight to my words and decisions based on who I am and my past exploits. Because I wish to maintain my brother's memory and image and so bring him honor."

Shock and denial quickly engulfed her face and tears threatened to pool in her eyes. She fought them back and stared at her hands.

"What happened to him?"

"He sought to protect your realm and paid for his folly with his life. Thus, I buried my own brother in a realm not his own where none save myself attended his departure to Valhalla. The mightiest of warriors in all the Nine Realms-what all the arrows of Alfheim, axes of Nidalivier, fires of Muspelheim, and ice swords of Jotunheim failed to fell, was slain by a mortal lamp post projected by the force of the explosion straight through the armor of the Thunderer. What bard could compose lines praising such a death?"

"What you told me before-that was true?" she said.

"Yes," he said. "My brother died a shameful and needless death on Midgard-murdered by those he came to protect."

"And all this time, all those times Thor rescued people, who was that?"

"Your deductive reasoning skills continue to astound, Lady Jane," Loki responded dryly.

She glared at him for a moment before getting lost in her thoughts. "All that time-since the Fall-that was you?"

"Indeed."

"But why?"

"I do not wish to speak of it," he said sourly.

"Then who…Loki-are you working for SHEILD? Do they know?"

"I believe it is more accurate to say that SHEILD is working for me. And of course they do not know. I am not a fool, Jane."

"I did not say you were-what do you mean that SHIELD is working for you?"

"As I said, I own them and they do my wishes."

"Your wishes…wait-did you, no, Loki did you organize the terrorist attacks that took out all these countries?"

"No, Jane. I simply awoke one morning and found I was the single ruler of Midgard," he said with a half-smile.

"I can't even tell if you are joking or serious. This isn't funny! Tell me the truth."

He sighed and reminded himself why he must tolerate her incessant questioning. "A nefarious plot organized by Hydra infiltrated SHEILD and took advantage of the death of the Avengers and the chaos of the New York situation to conquer Midgard using genetically enhanced and mind-controlled warriors. I cannot take credit for their chaos. I can, however, take credit for now ruling them and using them to follow my whims. They are now repenting of their wicked ways and rebuilding Midgard at my direction."

"At your direction…you are telling me that you call in the shots in over 30 of the largest, strongest countries on earth?"

"And a few of the smaller, less powerful ones who are dependent on the others. Yes."

She threw up her hands in exasperation. "This is all too much for me to take in. I don't understand."

"You do not need to understand. You need to do as you are told," he said.

"Oh my stars! Is that…I can't…Loki-are you trying to open up a portal to bring those alien monster things back to conquer the rest of Earth. I can't believe it. I knew this was a terrible idea," she prattled anxiously. She stood and began to pace the room.

"No, Jane. I have no more wish to see the Chitauri again than you, I can assure you. They are worthless, brainless fiends. It is as I have explained to you. I wish to open up a portal to ensure I can travel easily between realms. Asgard has been left without both its princes and without a bifrost. The protector of the Nine Realms cannot accomplish its task and that leaves all of Yggdrasil vulnerable to attack."

"So, Thor is dead….," she said, tearing up again, this time in earnest as the reality slowly soaked into her consciousness. Soon she descended into sobs. Loki stood from his chair and escaped to a corner of the room, hoping to put some distance between the mortal woman and her grief over his lost brother.

"This is why I preferred not to speak of it to you," he said quietly. "Ignorance assisted your peace of mind."

"How can you say that? And how can you be so calm?" she said. "Don't you even care?"

Loki gave her a withering glare but before he released the acidic remark from the tip of his tongue, he turned, and fled the room, leaving Jane alone in her grief.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

_Hapana: no_

_Bwana: term of respect, sir. (In Swahili)_


	16. Chapter 16: Wageni

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Wageni**

* * *

T'Chaka paced the length and depth of his personal office for most of the morning after the departure of his guest. His sandaled feet barely made a sound on the polished tile floors. His thoughts felt heavy. He paused when a light knock sounded on his door.

"_Hodi,"_ asked a cheerful voice.

"_Karibuni_, Shuri," he replied.

The short pig-tail braids of his teenage daughter's head peeked through the door and her face broke into a dimpled grin.

"You've been hiding in here all morning. Mama is worried. She sent me to bring you chai and mandazi," Shuri said. She bumped open the door with her hip and came carrying a tray filled with breakfast.

"Asante," T'Chaka said, too solemnly to pass unnoticed by his keen lastborn daughter's notice.

She plopped herself into one of the ebony chairs and began to pour herself some tea. She pulled a few mandazi onto one of the plates and soon her mouth was busy chewing. She didn't ask him to speak. She knew she didn't need to. They both knew why she had come and it wasn't to bring him breakfast.

He allowed Shuri's presence to calm him and he made his first attempt that morning to sit still. He served himself some of the still warm mandazi and let the warm pastries sit in front of him on his desk. He slowly stirred sugar in his tea, as if the very sound of the metal spoon clinking against the ceramic mug would solidify his thoughts.

"Gulu came," he finally said in a low voice. He continued to stir his tea unnecessarily. His slightly crooked eyes failed to find the bright, brown eyes of Shuri, who continued to keep her eyes fixed on him. "This morning before daylight. He wishes the _mgeni _to stay."

Shuri stopped mid-bite, raised both eye brows and replied with a simple, "mmmmm."

"The mzungu-what have you discovered of her?" T'Chaka asked.

"Aya. That story has more drama than a Mexican soap opera," Shuri said with a slightly cheeky grin on her face. "Dr. Jane Foster is an American astrophysicist. She thought she was helping Kiwanuka return to Asgard. I am afraid she has not taken this new revelation well."

"Is she a danger?"

"From all I could uncover from the SHIELD database, she housed Kiwanuka for three days over two years ago. She never went to the press or published her experiences in her research, even though her revelations would have validified her own theories and assisted her acceptance into her academic community."

"I am glad to hear it."

"I spent some little time with her last night. She will be more trouble for this _mgeni_ than for us," she said. "She is, above all else, thirsty for knowledge and if we reward her with what she seeks, I do not think she will betray us."

"Ah, ah, ah! I see your thoughts on your face, daughter. You are too, too excited to show her your lab," T'Chaka said with a grin that wrinkled his face like an elephant's ear.

Shuri's dimples gave him answer and her eyes shown with enthusiasm. Her expression fell slightly as she drank in her father's thoughts from beneath his words.

"You are troubled," Shuri said. She leaned her thin arms against her knees and stared at the old king.

"Indio," he said. He abandoned his pretext of breakfast and rose to pace the room again. "It is said, 'when two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.' I fear Wakanda once again becoming the grass. We have sought to protect ourselves and stay out of the rising and falling of the kingdoms around us for so many generations. Even still, their affairs have spilled over into our borders again and again and threatened the very foundations of our kingdom."

"Maybe it is time we take an interest in the affairs of the other kingdoms before we are forced to involve ourselves," she said.

"I fear that it will not be kingdoms but worlds in the balance this time, daughter," he said solemnly.

She did not respond. She collected plates of now cold chai and untouched mandazi and placed it back on the tray. T'Chaka paused by the window overlooking the towering minarets keeping guard over some of the smaller apartments surrounding the external walls of the home of the royal family. The sun now soaked the expanse of the bustling city, the early morning softness long since replaced with humid intensity.

"Aya, come, daughter. I have been too, too slow this morning. I will need to meet with T'Challa and the General first and then our two_ wageni_. You are welcome to attend as you will be called on to assist our _wageni_ the most."

"Yes,_ baba_," she said. She rose and took the tray of breakfast. She pushed on the heavy door with her shoulder, but paused before slipping out. She could feel her father's words before he spoke them.

"I will need to inform the tribal elders. I fear they will not like my decision."

"They rarely do," Shuri said.

"Which I why I let them speak into so many decisions. However, I could not allow their words into this, for they would speak out of fear."

"_Usiwe wasi wasi_, _baba_," she said. "All will be well."

T'Chaka gave a slight nod and turned to face the city again.

Ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

It was not until the dimming sun cast golden shadows of the many columns across the floor of the council chamber that the King of Wakanda convened with his _wageni._ T'Chaka sat in his intricately carved chair in the center of a circle of other finely carved chairs. The General, the Priest, the Prince, and the Princess rose in greeting as T'Chaka entered the room. A few quiet whispers of greetings accompanied their salutes as T'Chaka motioned for them to be seated. Two chairs remained empty across from T'Chaka and all eyes turned towards the sound of the heavy doors into the council chamber opening.

Two Dora Milaje held the doors open for the four King's Guards to enter. In between the uniformed, armed guards, the two_ wageni _followed. The woman trailed after the Asgardian. Her face showed red traces of a lengthy time of tears. She intentionally failed to keep in step with her companion and her brown eyes sought any object other than the dark-haired, alien Prince.

The Asgardian paid no heed to his companion's presence or distress. Now dressed in formal Asgardian attire, he projected confident authority and a haughty determination through his bearing and his expression. He swept up to his full height when he caught the eyes of the room's inhabitants and he met their eyes with a glower in his own.

T'Chaka stood to address the _wageni. _

"Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard, Dr. Jane Foster of the U.S.A., you are welcome to Wakanda," he began in his rough, solemn voice. In the silence of the echoing chamber, he had no need to raise his voice. Before he could continue, T'Chaka found himself interrupted by Shuri's muffled giggle followed by a resounding purr.

"_Wacha! Usicheki, dada_," T'Challa whispered to his sister.

"_Kuna paka_," she said and pointed to where an orange cat delicately pranced in the steps of the Asgardian prince. The cat, upon reaching its intended destination, wrapped itself around the prince's ankles and released a loud purr. Loki's grim, proud expression flickered as he hissed and attempted to shoo his furry companion away. The cat only batted a paw at him in play and rolled onto its back. Not only did it remain on the prince's leather boots, but it continued to purr at him with such a self-satisfied smirk on its feline features that Shuri could not maintain her composure and fell into a fit of giggles.

Okoye rose one eyebrow but otherwise maintained her stoicism. "_Mgeni_, you have brought a pet cat to our council meeting?"

Loki gave an overly dramatic sigh of resignation and his attempts at projecting a façade of controlled arrogance slightly slipped into a more genuine expression of exasperation.

"Certainly not," he said. He gave another push of his boot against the orange belly of the cat and was rewarded with a claw penetrating the thick sole and a set of teeth clamping onto the toe of his boot.

"Then what is the meaning of this?" Okoye said and pointed her spear toward the orange cat.

"This irritating beast is not a cat," Loki said through gritted teeth. "It has given me precious little peace since it discovered my presence in the SHIELD headquarters some months back."

"You failed to rid yourself of a cat?" Okoye said with marked condescension in her voice.

"As I said, it is not a cat. This is a Flerkin, a dangerous beast not of Midgard. If it chose to attack, none present here, myself included, could hope to save us from its wrath."

"You are afraid of a cat?"

"For the love of Valhalla! Have you heard nothing I have just said?" Loki said, running both his hands through his dark hair and glaring at the orange cat again.

T'Chaka decided it was time to interject. He cleared his throat.

"We are not here to discuss your…creature….however you wish to explain it. We_ are_ here to discuss your presence in Wakanda. I trust you have rested and are ready to proceed?"

Jane met the King's eyes and nodded her head but remained silent. Loki simply crossed his arms against his chest and glared.

"Be seated," T'Chaka said and motioned towards the two empty chairs. Jane's eyes grew momentarily wide and T'Chaka feared for a moment that she would protest sitting in such close proximity to the Asgardian, but she remained silent and sat, her eyes transfixed on the cream tiles of the floor at her feet.

Loki's attempt at seating himself with a dignified flourish was interrupted by the cat who daintily weaved itself between his feet, slightly tripping the prince, and causing him to sit in an unbalanced heap in the chair. The cat then lay itself on the floor at his feet, tail twitching, and began to lick its paws.

Okoye watched, with eyebrow still raised, as both the _wageni_ adamantly refused to make eye contact with the other and kept their hands and feet as far from the other as possible in the small space between them. Then the General gave T'Challa such a pointed expression that the Wakandan prince had to hide his amused smile behind the embroidered sleeve of his linen shirt.

T'Chaka sighed.

"You restrained my magic," Loki said scornfully, failing to wait for the King to lead their discussion. "Then imprisoned me."

"Indeed," T'Chaka responded.

Loki pursed his lips to restrain the next venomous retort that sought to exit his mouth, but then thought the better of it. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"I suppose I should be groveling at your feet and thanking you for your many kindnesses upon me," Loki said and rolled his eyes. Jane's face flushed in embarrassment as she glanced at him for the first time since she entered the meeting.

"You have your choice of homes among the kingdoms of the Earth and still you wish to enter the one kingdom that remains untouched by the work of your hands," T'Chaka responded.

"Even the homeliest of maidens remains a worthy conquest until she is first bedded," Loki responded, arrogant smirk planted firmly on his face.

Okoye hissed and grumbled under her breath.

"He should remain a guest in our dungeons," Okoye said in a whisper as she glared at him.

"Send him to stay in the bush with the other jackals," Shuri said. "His _paka_ and _mzungu_ can stay here."

"Do not try my patience. You may be a Prince in Asgard, but you are a guest in Wakanda. It would benefit you to remember that," T'Chaka said. Then he rose his voice to that of a command. "I will speak to our_ wageni_ alone. I will summon this meeting to reconvene tomorrow morning."

T'Challa, Shuri, Okoye, and Zuri rose and shuffled their way out of the council chamber, each giving their sovereign a questioning expression as they left. He gave them each an assured nod. Once left alone with the _wageni_, he gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Prince Loki Odinson, if you wish to access your magic, you must leave the borders of Wakanda. You are free to continue your research within our borders, unless I determine it endangers Wakanda or Earth. Princess Shuri will assist you in your efforts. I reccommend you show her more deference than you currently are or she will make your time in Wakanda trying indeed."

"This is not to be borne," Loki said with a scoff. "I insist you release my magic."

T'Chaka stared at him for a long moment, meeting Loki's forceful gaze with his own. He could see-beneath the walls of pride and strength-the fragile cracks and fissures ready to crumble at a breath of wind. The Asgardian sought to protect his vulnerability with his sharp tongue.

"It is yours," T'Chaka responded, "whenever you step away from Wakanda. As King, I am tasked to protect my Kingdom and when you are residing here, you are included in that solemn office as much as the rest of the citizenry of my kingdom. No harm will befall you here."

Loki gave a haughty scoff and felt through his layers of Asgardian clothes to the now-empty spaces which normally housed his hidden weapons. He glared at the king again.

"My brother never spoke to me of his visit here," he said, still with a note of accusation in his voice. "When did he travel here?"

"It was over 450 years ago," T'Chaka responded. He watched the prince's face as the prince fell silent, inwardly counting back through the years. He caught the moment of insight and the sudden flash of anguish that the prince quickly buried with a mask of apathy.

"450 years? How old are you?" Jane asked, curiosity conquering her animosity.

"Much older than that," Loki responded, still failing to look at her red-rimmed eyes.

"Wakanda has a long memory," T'Chaka said. "Back in the days of your father, we were known as the Kingdom of Shenga. I believe your grandfather also came, but those stories are now lost to us. We seek to remember and so maintain the wisdom of our ancestors, but even our memories are not infinite."

"He's not my father," Loki said venomously, once again startling Jane in giving him her attention.

"Mmmmm," T'Chaka responded, granting more credence to Odin's reluctance to see his son in person. He now lost himself in his memories of the old stories and legends of his people. "The man you refuse to call your father, in Wakanda, our ancestors called him Gulu, because he came to us from the sky. Our stories tell of a powerful being who came from the sky and not from Earth. He came different times with different children, these also came from the sky with him. Our ancestors never worshipped them and they never sought to rule. They simply came and then they went back to the sky again the same way that they came.

"His first child, Walumbe, came and brought death and disease and much grief to Wakanda. His second child, Kiwanuka, came and brought thunder and lightning and wielded a mighty hammer. Not so long ago, Kiwanuka came and was drawn to the beauty of a daughter of Wakanda. He courted her affections for a full dry season. Then Gulu called him to return. He left his beloved with child and never returned to pay dowry or claim his son. His son grew to be a mighty warrior, a man of renown and great strength, and eventually joined the Balubaale until his death in a war against the neighboring kingdom."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Of course he did," he responded so quietly that only Jane could hear. "I can finish that story. The All-Father, angered at the short-lived and unserious dalliances of his heir, banned all further travels to Midgard. Hence the restricted interactions between Midgard and Asgard until Thor's banishment two years ago."

T'Chaka hid his surprise at the venom laced within the prince's tone. He was only beginning to see that the poison in this prince's heart drew from deep roots, indeed.

"We have no name for you or stories of your visits to our kingdom. Why did you not come?" T'Chaka said, turning to face the Asgardian again.

"My travels were limited on your realm. I prefer cooler lands. I visited a few of the northern peoples during my youth and before the final ban on travel to Midgard," Loki responded.

"Until now," T'Chaka said.

"Indeed. These days I find myself compelled to travel the width and breadth of your realm, whether I wish it or no," Loki said.

T'Chaka found himself weary and desirous of solitude again. He wished to dismiss his visitors to other pursuits while he sought his own.

"_Wageni,_ our fates have crossed here in Wakanda. If you maintain our secrets and our well-being, I swear, we will uphold yours as well. Princess Shuri will give you assistance in the morning. Until then, I have sent Dr. Njeri to assist you in learning the ways of Wakanda."

"Dr. Njeri?" Jane asked.

"Yes. She is a well-learned professor of anthropology who works as an emissary for our kingdom. She assists all our _wageni_ in adjusting to our culture. She has been assigned to you both during your stay and she will prove of much benefit to you, I believe."

Jane nodded and gave the king a small smile of appreciation. Loki maintained his silence and his haughty gaze. He turned to leave, his cape fluttering behind him as he marched from the council chamber. The orange cat trailed after, playfully pouncing after his cape with its claws.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_To my lovely reviewer-thanks so much for all your faithful reviews on every chapter! You really do help keep me going! In response to your last chapter's comment, I am undecided on if Killmonger will make an appearance. I am unsure how compelling a villain he would make in this particular story manifestation. However, I'm open to suggestions. :)_

_FYI, in the MCU timeline, Shuri should be like 10 years old or something close to that. However, I really like Shuri and want to use a non-ten year old version of her. Thus, we will say that in this timeline, she is 16 (her age in Black Panther) so we can enjoy the wonderfulness of Shuri-Jane-Loki interactions (cause, really, that's the main reason for them to go to Wakanda, right?)_

_Stories of Gulu (sometimes spelled Ggulu): Kiganda mythology taken from a variety of Google searches (and then expanded upon). A good one is the book Uganda by Philip Briggs and Andrew Roberts. The Balubaale are guardians-semi-deities somewhere between the spirit world and human world that can work for good or ill for humans. Granted, Walumbe (death) is male in the Kiganda myths, we will have to pretend otherwise for that_

_I'm also drawing quite a bit on mythology for my "Vagrant Odin" description from the past few chapters. Actually, I've been reading through Padraic Colum's Children of Odin lately (what can I say? I rather love mythology) and it's been giving me some inspiration for some plot points I hope to expound upon more in future._

_Translations:_

_Mgeni/wageni: stranger or visitor (singular/plural)._

_Hodi: roughly translates to can I come in?_

_Karibuni: you are welcome_

_Baba: father_

_Usiwe wasi wasi: don't be troubled_

_Wacha! Usicheki dada: stop! Don't laugh, sister._

_Kuna paka: there's a cat_


	17. Chapter 17: Friends

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Friends**

* * *

Two King's Guards walked before them. Their golden armor and gilded skirts shone in the long, brightly lit corridor. Two more King's Guards trailed behind them, elongated spears pointed towards the geometric shapes painted on the ceiling. On each side of them, the hall way was draped with paintings and symbols of former kings and queens. Ancient drums painted with elephants, crowns of brightly colored feathers and shells, long robes of animal skins, and life-sized ebony carvings of faces lined their steps on either side of the hall.

"Are you out of your mind?" Jane hissed in whisper to Loki. "You are released from prison and then you decide to insult the people who let you out?"

Loki visibly stiffened but maintained his brisk walk. He gave her a half-smile as he spoke, "Lady Jane, are you concerned about my well-being? You wish me to avoid further imprisonment? I am truly touched."

"NO! That's not what I meant! Ugh!" Jane said, momentarily flushed with embarrassment.

"I see, so what is your concern, then?"

"I just don't understand. What was all that about in there? You were a jerk!"

"While I do not know the exact definition of that particular word, I can infer your meaning through your intonation. Tell me, Lady Jane, how do you expect me to behave? Have I given you reason to have higher expectations of my general manner and concern for humanity?"

Jane gave a huff under her breath and fell silent. Loki gave a half-smile in what he saw as a victory on his side. They neared the hall where their rooms were located and found a woman waiting.

She stood when she saw them approach and gave them a warm, confident smile. She stood only a few inches taller than Jane, but the slight wrinkles around her cheeks and her eyes showed her to be the elder of the two. Her age did not detract from her impressive beauty. She wore a burgundy suit dress over her ample figure and the tone perfectly matched her full, dark lips. Her formerly black tresses now hung in large, peppered curls around her caramel face. There was something about the expression in her face that showed a tangible wisdom and intellect, forged through many years of life. Yet, all attention was taken captive by her brilliant honey-colored eyes.

She stretched out her hand and shook Jane's first.

"Dr. Jane Foster, it is a pleasure to meet you," she said in a crisp, articulate accent, distinct from that of the other Wakandans they had met. "My name is Dr. Joyce Njeri."

She turned to shake hands with Loki, but as soon as his eyes met hers, he gave her a look of such shock that she stepped back in confusion. Then, without speaking, Loki fled into his chambers. Loki hid behind his door struggling to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry about that," Jane said, apologetically.

"It is alright. He is not the first of my charges to be a little stubborn. Now, come. Let us take chai together and we can get to know each other a little better."

"I'd like that," Jane replied.

Loki gave a sigh of relief as he heard the women's voices disappear down the hall. He slid down the door and onto the floor. He lay his head between his knees as he sought to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and fought back the torrent of memories that crashed over him. He had fled from those memories for the past three hundred years and one flash of golden eyes was enough to open up the floodgates of a past era.

He had shut those doors in his mind and heart and buried those memories next to a willow tree. He would not tread the hallowed graves of his past. Yet, sometimes the shadow of a death stretched far longer than the length of a life.

This time, when Goose sidled up beside him, Loki did not shrink away. He did not even seem to notice the Flerkin as it rubbed itself against him. Goose lay down and closed its eyes, content to bask in the warmth of its companion.

Ooooooooooooooo

* * *

After taking his evening meal in the isolation of his chambers, Loki decided to take a walk through the gardens. As he walked, Loki saw a figure trailing behind him. He sighed and began to wish he had stayed inside. He suddenly found himself overly tired. The knowledge that the place he now inhabited, however temporarily, proved exceedingly more powerful than he originally anticipated (and could easily restrain him for an indefinite period of time) had unsettled him more deeply than he wished any other to know.

He stopped when he came upon a secluded balcony garden. The warm, humid night air hummed with the songs of frogs and geckos and mosquitoes. Only a few small lamps cast any light into the dark, wide balcony. He sat on a stone bench and prepared himself for another onslaught of accusations, questions, and tears.

Jane came up to him and sat beside him. She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tapped her foot against the cobbled pathway beneath.

"What was that about?" Jane chided him. "You were really rude."

"My apologies, Lady Jane," Loki said sarcastically. "I would hate to lose the favor of my mortal companions or make your life difficult in any way."

"Ugh! I don't understand you. Why are you like this? You are nothing like your brother. Thor was so…"

Loki hurried to interrupt her. "I beg you to spare me any comparison to Asgard's Golden Prince. I assure you, I will never appear favorable when the weight of his mighty shadow falls upon my unworthy countenance."

"Look, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry about your brother. And I don't mean to be a jerk to you. I haven't been all that gracious to you since, well, since we really met."

Loki, taken aback slightly, glanced up at her then he gave her a cold half-smile.

"You have no talent in deception, milady. Speak what is on your mind, for I already read it plainly upon your face."

She dropped her eyes from his in discomfort and fiddled with the zipper of her dress pocket. "I'm just trying to understand you," she said. "And I just don't."

"You must learn, Lady Jane, that not all your questions have answers that you can ferret out. Some things not even your great curiosity can conquer."

"I don't do well with mysteries," she admitted. "Still, there's some things I need to know."

"What do you wish to be clarified? I owe you no answers nor do I promise truths."

"At the funeral-you pretended to be Thor. Why?"

"Need I remind you that two million souls were given in exchange for mine-do you think I wished for a repeat performance?"

"Then why come at all?"

"I sought to discover how to avenge the death of my brother. I desired the names of his foes so I could vanquish them myself. My quest proved a failure at the time. I should have avoided the services entirely and thus spare us each this current situation."

"Why are you pretending like you care about your brother or how many people were killed? You tried to kill Thor. And you came to conquer Earth. In cold blood, you came…," she said, her voice rising in her quickly stifled anger as she saw Loki's posture stiffen.

"My apologies, Lady Jane, that you must suffer the indignity of my presence instead of his. If we are both diligent, mayhaps, we can ensure our alliance remains as short-lived as possible, for both our benefit…and for the benefit of all Midgard. I am an unwilling ruler and your realm is naught but unwilling subjects."

"I don't understand. If you are an unwilling ruler, than why bother? Why try to conquer us?"

"I have spent over half a year trapped on Midgard. I never sought to come to this wretched land and I would much prefer to leave-hence the import of your efforts and why I bothered to grovel for your assistance in the first place. Unfortunately for both of us, our fates, for the time, are intertwined and until we extricate them, I suggest we both make an effort to be cordial."

Loki rose and gave her a slight bow before retreating. He did not wish to hear her response, nor did she rise to make him hear. He left her sitting on the bench on the balcony and returned to the solitude of his chambers.

ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki woke to find the Flerkin curled tightly against his chest, fast asleep. Without his magic to guard him or protect him, he had no warning or possible defense against the beast. It could have taken off his limbs while he slept-and what defense could he offer? He had been stripped of all his weapons before he woke in his prison cell. He had managed to take a sharp knife from the dining hall during meal time, but that was hardly a precision instrument meant for self-defense. Still, he had placed it carefully under his pillow before falling asleep the night before.

His one comfort-surely Thanos would have no easier time penetrating the Wakandan defenses than he. If Thanos came to claim him, he would have warning.

He rolled off the plush bed appreciating that at least his chambers were now fitting of his rank. Unlike his stolen, broken room at the Triskelion where he ruled as one but slept with stolen blankets on a rough cot.

Goose, thankfully, stayed soundly asleep. Loki searched through some drawers to find Midgardian apparel appropriate for his intended tasks. He would have to pull on each article of clothing himself-a tedium he had not been forced to endure in a millennia. Without his magic, he felt bound not only physically, but in every other way.

He began to lace up his tall leather boots (which now were marred with holes thanks to the inexorable force of the Flerkin's teeth and claws). He nearly finished when he heard a soft thud and purring filled the room. Goose, now wide awake, sidled up beside him and nuzzled against his legs.

"Insufferable creature," Loki said through gritted teeth. "I would kill you myself, if I had the means."

The Flerkin looked at him sideways through only one eye and then rolled onto its back to show the soft, fluffy white underside of its belly. It flicked its tail and looked at him expectantly.

"No," Loki said. "I will not touch you. Be gone."

The Flerkin gave a wide yawn that displayed all its sharp, pointed teeth. Then flicked its tail against him again.

"Goose, I command you to leave me be," Loki said. He stood and filled his satchel with his required amenities for the day. It was Sunday (or it soon would be in New York) after all, and today he would be able to do as he wished. And he certainly did not wish to spend his day in Wakanda.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

The moment Loki crossed the shield separating Wakanda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he gave a sigh of relief. His magic flooded back through him and he felt its strength coursing through his veins, singing through his senses. He felt whole again, no longer so exposed and vulnerable, dependent on the good-nature of others (which experience had long since taught him was as reliable as a venomous serpent).

He threw a large illusion of a dragon into the sky simply to stretch his skills and smiled as the faux reptile soared for a moment above the tree tops of the dense equatorial forest and then vanished into a cloud of green mist. He allowed the gentle tenterhooks of magic to exude from his body and through the chasms of space until he found the crevice he sought. Then, in the blink of an eye, he transported himself from the humid heat of the tropical pre-dawn forests and into the bitter cold of the Washington D.C. January night.

Loki nearly hit his head on a brick wall when the figure of Goose materialized from beneath his cape.

"Stowaway. How dare you continue to impede on my presence, you deplorable worm of a creature," he hissed. Goose gave a slight "meow" and followed after him, paying no heed to his irritation. "Do you truly insist on shadowing my every movement? Do not you have some rodent to hunt or an ancient relic to ingest?"

Loki huffed as he realized he was speaking to the Flerkin as if a cognizant creature. He turned his back and determined to ignore the beast.

Loki performed a perfunctory sweep of SHIELD's databases, newsreels, and logs to see what he had missed during his absence in Wakanda. He had little doubt that Wakanda's technological capacity could broker him the same information from within Birnin Zana, but he refused to grovel for assistance as if he were a child. To his simultaneous surprise and dismay, he found little of interest. It was as if he was entirely redundant to the internal workings of Midgard. All potential trouble seemed to evaporate each day during his absence, and he could not discover the cause. He planned to contact his little army as soon as possible to gain their reports.

Within his room, he found his Canna lilies blooming brilliantly. If he were to find it beneficial to spend more time in Birnin Zana than Washington, D.C., he would need to relocate his flower pot, but he remained undetermined. Jane had her power source and much more qualified assistants. Their site was protected with the best Midgard could offer. His presence was not necessary on a daily basis.

Still, his stolen room felt stale and stagnant, more of a prison cell than a home and he did not relish the idea of spending more nights than he must within those four walls. He turned and fled as if compelled by an external force.

ooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

He checked the time on his cell phone again. He did not think it would be too early now. He pulled on a Midgardian scarf and winter jacket over his Midgardian suit. He carefully placed the two cups of hot coffee in a container and flashed himself away from the streets of D.C. and into the snowy stillness of the New York streets. Now covered in half a foot of cold, fresh snow, an eerie silence blanketed the remains of the wreckage. Few people bothered to lay tracks in the fresh snow. The snow plow had not plowed the streets this far into ground zero. The streets that had once housed millions now could barely provide shelter to the few vagrants that wandered its streets and used pieces of old building to light fires to warm themselves.

Loki hoped it would not be too cold or too early. He could not tarry much longer here, but it was Sunday, after all, and he would do as he pleased today. He broke into a genuine grin when he neared the squeaky gate with its peeling paint. Across the other side, from within the greenhouse, he could see a figure in a bright purple jacket bustling between plants. He swung open the gate and tried his hardest to keep his footprints within hers, though his larger feet could not quite fit within the much smaller ones he followed. He knocked on the door and heard her give a short exclamation of surprise and she swung around towards him.

Loki pushed the door open, though it stuck on the icy ground and crunched horribly as he pushed. The temperature rose significantly once inside and he quickly shut the door to maintain the heat. He suddenly found himself engulfed in a purple armed hug.

"Lucas! My! You are an early bird today, aren't you? And what's this? Have you brought me a worm?"

He gave her a confused expression. "No, I brought you coffee. I did not think people in this polity chose to ingest worms."

She broke into a peel of uncharacteristically girlish giggles and took the steaming cup from his hand. "It's an expression. 'The early bird gets the worm.' Oh, this is still hot! How ever did you manage it? The closest coffee shop isn't within five miles of here!"

"Aw, that would be where the worms assisted me," he said with a wicked smirk and she smacked him on the shoulder.

"Tut, tut. Come in here and have a look around. This place is pure magic, I'll tell you! And those roses you gave me, I've never seen their equal! Where ever did you find them?" she said. She pulled him over to the two white wicker chairs with soft pillows (which he'd made sure to include with the green house) and bade him to sit. Her hazel eyes sparkled with her enthusiasm as she gestured around her little floral kingdom.

"They came from my mother's garden," he said. "I do not think it is an exaggeration to say she grows the finest roses in the universe."

"I would not argue that. These are truly the most beautiful I have ever seen," she said. "Oh, before I forget, I was hoping you'd come today because I have a gift for you!"

"Another gift? I thought gift-giving was a tradition saved for what you called Christmas. Is there another holiday that I do not know of?"

She laughed and pulled out a package wrapped in some kind of light, silver metal. "No! This isn't for any occasion at all. You remember on Christmas you told José how much you love churros? Well, him being the dearie he is, he got it into his sharp little brain that he would cook you some."

"He cooked me churros?" Loki said with such an expression of child-like innocence that Mrs. Johnson nearly paused to pinch his cheeks. Instead she batted him on the shoulder and chided him as if he were a small boy.

"Hush, you! Will you let me tell my story or will you keep interrupting me?"

"Apologies, milady," he said with a slight bow.

"Oh! Enough with the chivalry or you will make me blush like a school girl! As I was saying, José and I Googled how to make churros and then we got all the supplies and we stayed up half the night. Well, after we tried four different recipes and found them each to be failures, we finally had to admit defeat.

"Well, then we decided to make you cookies instead. That almost went better-until I mixed up the powdered sugar with the baking powder, and, let me tell you, they were atrocious! So, last night, we went to this little market near José's school that he told me about. He said they had, and I quote, 'the best churros ever!' and so we got a couple dozen. I have to admit, they really are delightful. So, I know they are not as grand as fresh, warm ones, but the thought is there."

She finally handed him the package and he peeked a looked beneath the layers of metal. He inhaled deeply and couldn't help but grin as the scent of cinnamon hit him.

"Please tell José that I am deeply honored and will treasure these greatly-though I cannot promise you they will last the hour."

"Oh to be young again and have a metabolism like that again!" she said and laughed. "Now, tell me, you were not here last week. How is everything? How's the new job working out? Is it what you expected?"

"No, Mrs. Johnson, I can honestly say it has been nothing like I expected," he said with a sigh.

"What is troubling you? You sounded so hopeful on Christmas."

"Mrs. Johnson, with as much, what did you call it? Ah-egg nog. With as much egg nog as you supplied me with and after such a glorious feast, I would have found even the end of the world a cheery proposition."

"That's a fair point," she said with a smile that hinted at their shared inside joke. "Everything does look more hopeful after a few too many glasses of Christmas egg nog."

"As I was saying, my new job location is as favorable to my research projects as I told you before, however, I find my colleagues to be a bit trying," he said. He furrowed his dark eyebrows in consideration before he spoke again. "They knew my brother and are acquainted with my extended family. It's led to more, I suppose I would call it_, conversations_ than I have had in many months."

"I see," she said. "You don't find it comforting to speak of them?"

Loki gave her a look which told her he found it otherwise. "One colleague was a former love interest of my brother. She had not been informed of his death. I am afraid I proved the bearer of bad tidings and she has yet to forgive me for not being the one to take his place in the halls of our ancestors."

Mrs. Johnson whistled. "So it sounds complicated and dramatic."

"Those words are an adequate description of this past week."

"I hope it gets better for you."

He gave her a nod and took one of the cold churros from the plate. It gave a crunch as he bit into it and he let a small amount of magic sift through it to warm it slightly.

"I have more news for you," Mrs. Johnson said. She flashed her bright smile and they both could tell she was trying to change the subject to draw him out of his glowering mood. "You remember how on Christmas, I told you José managed to get ahold of some of his family? Well, the next day, he got a call from some of his cousins who live in Texas. Their parents died in The Fall during the attack on Dallas. He hadn't known they survived. Well, they are living in one of those government facilities and the rest of the family is stretched too thin to be able to manage more children. So, we started poking around and making phone calls. If all goes well, it's possible our little family will grow by two more."

"You have my congratulations," Loki said, forcing himself to reengage and express the necessary amount of enthusiasm at her words.

"I don't know how long it will take. These offices are so overloaded with orphans and so desperate for good personnel and finances that it can take months or possibly even years. We are hoping for the best though," she said.

Loki grinned and took another churro. Moving things along through a sluggish Midgardian government system was one thing he _could_ do well and easily.

Ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki returned to his stolen room without a single remaining churro later that afternoon. He would need to return to Wakanda soon, but he wished to put it off as long as he could. He felt the strength and power of his magic surround and envelope him and he dreaded to find his hands bound.

He sat on his bed and summoned Mjolnir into his presence again. He would never admit it out loud, but he had sorely missed his nightly ritual. The silver hammer gleamed in the overhead light and he drew his finger over the finely carved runes covering its beveled edges.

"Well, brother, I see you managed to keep some secrets even from me. Bravo. I am impressed. Did you simply forget to speak of your time in Shenga or did you intentionally hide more of your dubious exploits from me?"

Loki paused to collect his thoughts, as if speaking to Thor in the flesh. He scoffed inwardly as he realized he never would have dared to speak so openly to his brother if in person.

"Tell me, did you even know the name of the maid you courted that time or check into the well-being of your offspring once you left? Did you even feel the weight of the All-Father's banishment or mourn their loss? Or, once again, was I to be the lone recipient of the trials and hardships of your punishments?

"You great oaf. You spent three days in a mortal frame and thought you understood mortality. You spent three days in Midgard and claimed you would be its protector. You came, you enjoyed your dalliances, you enjoyed their worship and adoration, but you could never understand it."

Loki closed his eyes to fight against the sudden flood of memories that threatened his conscious mind again. He kindled his anger as a shield against the sadness.

"Thor, the mighty ally of Midgard, graciously bestowing your protection on the child realm!" he said with a scoff. "What did you know of the lives of mortals-their lives which vanish? How dare you pretend to care!" Loki shouted, no longer sure if he spoke of his brother or himself. He threw a knife at the hammer and began muttering curses in Elvish when the knife bounced off onto the dresser.

He continued to shout until he fell asleep, still deep in one-sided conversation with his brother.

He woke a few hours later as a furry creature descended upon his face with its rough tongue. He spluttered in indignation and sat upright, pushing Goose off him and wiping his face with his shirt. He looked around him in surprise to see the sun had long since fled and night had fallen. He should have left hours earlier.

He jumped from the bed and quickly changed. Then he gathered more of his belongings into a suitcase and placed it in his invisible storage. He turned to grab Mjolnir and froze. The hammer was gone.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo


	18. Chapter 18: The Gift

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 18: The Gift**

* * *

T'Chaka could not say he felt surprise when he first heard the _mgeni_ had crossed their borders. He could see it. The Asgardian moved with the restless energy of a caged leopard coiled within his lean frame. He would flee as often as he could to pursue his freedom, but he would return to the cage each time without fail for Wakanda still held his prize. And, if events transpired as T'Chaka feared they would, soon the Asgardian would, voluntarily or involuntarily, be forced to stay within the gilded cage of their secret kingdom.

T'Chaka did have to admit he felt surprised when he saw a small package waiting for him on his desk in the late watches of the night. Wrapped in cloth spun of fine gold thread and embroidered with distinctly Asgardian runes, its wrapping alone was worth a small fortune. He carefully removed the fabric and within he found an even more elaborate golden box inlaid with glowing, finely cut gems. He opened the lid and his white eyebrows crept upward as he laid his failing eyes on the bedraggled piece of broken machinery before him.

He lifted it and turned it over in his hand to observe it closely. It was a black metal octagon with a series of wires protruding from its edges and a few orange buttons on top. It appeared almost as if it had been forcibly torn from another piece of machinery and it had marks of burn damage on one side.

He opened the small leather parchment he found beneath it and found a message written in runes. As soon as he focused on the writing, it shifted like sand into an ancient form of Kishenga, the script that formed the basis of their modern Kikanda writing. This form of writing was now only used in the most sacred of ceremonies and by the most learned of his people.

In careful script, the note said: "_I remain in your debt. Give this to my son. Tell him it is a gift from the Midgardian host of the Tesseract_."

T'Chaka removed the broken machinery and placed it in a safe on his wall, safely hidden under an old leather shield and set of spears that had belonged to his great grandfather. He took the fabric and the box and the parchment and knew what he would do with these. Without saying it, T'Chaka could tell the All-Father sent those as gifts to express his thanks.

He did not worry about the late hour as he neared his daughter's rooms. She preferred to work late into the night on whatever project currently captured her imagination and she would most likely still be awake.

"_Hodi_," he said softly outside her door.

"_Baba_!" she said. He heard a thump and a thud and a patter of footsteps before she threw open the door with a wide grin. She pulled him in by the hand and he couldn't contain his laugh at her enthusiasm.

"_Umelala_?"

"_Hapana. Siwezi_," he said.

"_Na mimi pia._ I had an idea and couldn't sleep until I tested it to see if it worked. It didn't," Shuri said with a sigh. A pile of computer parts sat dismantled next to her bed and strewn across her desk. Some years earlier, a large dining table had made its way to the center of her room and never managed to migrate back to the dining hall. Now it was pitted with knife marks, soldering burns, and the occasional calculation written onto its surface instead of the notepaper too inconveniently far away for her current stroke of brilliance.

Her room still held an air of girlhood about it. Her large ebony shelf on one side of the room displayed her collection of dolls. Since her birth, T'Chaka brought her one doll from every country he traveled to. Her dolls no longer filled her arms or her bed, but she was not ready to part from them. The walls on one side of her room showed posters of her favorite Bollywood films, while the other had her favorite Lugaflow musicians. Every other surface seemed littered with test tubes, wires, tools, charts, and books. Ever since one experiment exploded, Shuri refused the cleaners from entering her room. She said she preferred her own mess over one created by well-intentioned_ watunza. _

Shuri quickly knocked a pile of screw drivers and wires off one chair and brought it for her father to sit in. She knelt on a woven banana fiber mat beside him, her hands on the knees of her dark brown night dress. Her hair was wrapped for the night in a green and yellow scarf. T'Chaka could read a series of calculations scrawled in a marker up her left arm when she turned it to gesture for him to sit down.

"You gave Dr. Foster a tour of your lab today?" he asked after he sat down beside her.

"Yes!" Shuri said. "I should have recorded her reaction for you! It was better than the time I put the fire ants in T'Challa's Panther Habit."

T'Chaka gave her an expression of mock rebuke before hiding his smile.

"You and the _mgeni _should be very grateful to me. It took me half the day to convince the _mzungu_ that she should stay and that she is not betraying _watu wote_ of the Earth by assisting the Space Colonizer with his plans."

"She did not wish to stay?"

"She had already packed her suitcases to return when I found her this morning. I think she would have left even after all my brilliant arguments and persuasions if it wasn't for my lab. When she saw the kinds of telescopes she would have access to if she stayed, then the decision became much easier. She did not like that she will have to learn to read Kikanda to work most of the computers, but I think I gave her enough incentive to inspire her. I showed her our newest telescope and she immediately asked me for a book about the Kikanda alphabet."

"Has she shared her research with you?"

"Not yet. It will take time. I am still working to convince her to take me seriously. She came thinking she would be in a village using generators and she was not prepared for Wakanda."

"_Asante,_ daughter," he said. "And the _mgeni_?"

"He disappeared over 24 hours ago. A guard from the Border tribe saw him pass through our external shield near Bwera and he has not been heard from since. He travelled to the SHEILD headquarters in Washington D.C. before visiting the sight of the bombing in New York. He returned to Washington D.C. for some time before travelling to Moscow and Beijing."

T'Chaka let his surprise show on his face. "Eeee, eeee, eeee! How have you managed to track his movements? He is sure to notice a device on his body or his clothes."

"_Hapana, baba_. I am not tracking his movements directly. I placed a tracking device on his cat. You can argue that I do not actually know all his movements, however, those are all the places his cat has gone today."

"You are tracking his cat?"

"_Ndio."_

"You are sure it is a cat?"

"I did not want to open it up to find out any differently," she said. "And after I placed the tracker on its collar, it refused to let me run any other tests on it so I did not try."

T'Chaka broke into a wheezing laugh. He wiped at his eyes where moisture gathered beneath his deep wrinkles. He pulled out the Asgardian gift and held it to her.

"Here, I have brought you something," he said. She eagerly took it and ran her fingers over the delicate embroidery and inlaid gems.

"These are beautiful," she said. "Where did they come from?"

"Asgard," he said and watched her carefully. She did not disappoint. Her eyes lit up like the sun at dawn and she jumped to her feet to grab one of her many hand-held scanning devices. She eagerly turned it on and began to run it over the gifts.

"These materials are not from Earth!" she said in excitement. "I have never seen anything like them!"

"One more," he said. He handed her the scroll and watched in amusement. Her mouth fell open as she watched the words rearrange themselves into the ancient Kishenga script.

"How does it…this is some kind of leather…how does it do that? Is it magic?"

"Aya," he said. "That is not all. The words I read are different than the ones it is currently showing you."

"No!" she said, a slight chirp of excitement in her voice. "I cannot read it. What does it say?"

T'Chaka laughed and t'sked at her. "Daughter, you should be able to read this fluently by now."

She shrugged. "I like science better than history and linguistics."

"I cannot tell you what I read because that is for my eyes alone, but for you it says, 'Asgard welcomes the princess of Wakanda.'"

Her dimpled grin met him in answer and she pulled out a magnifying glass and a notebook. He did not think she would sleep till dawn. His old bones, however, felt the call to rest. He left her furiously scribbling notes onto a computerized tablet and testing chemical compositions of the box.

Oooooooooooooooo

Loki stood outside the primary shield and waited. He knew they would come. Within twenty minutes, he heard the _whirr_ of motors and he could sense the company of soldiers standing at attention through the illusory barrier separating him from Wakanda.

A small door way appeared in the projection of the forest and through it walked the proud, muscular figure of the commander of the Border tribe guard.

"_Mgeni, umerudi_?" he said with a nod. "_Ni nani?"_

"This is someone I require assistance with. I am requesting safe transport to your capital for us both and an audience with your chief healer."

The man gave him a skeptical expression and began to speak into the beads on his wrist. A projection of the familiar face of the general soon filled the space in front of him.

"_Mgeni_-who is he?" she said.

"One of my soldiers. He is an enhanced mortal. I wish to break the mind spell keeping him enslaved to the whims of others."

Loki could hear the rushed argument between the commander and the general for a few moments before the transmission vanished and Loki followed the commander through the shield. He motioned for his Winter Soldier to follow, which the man did, as mindlessly and stoically as a statue. Behind the soldier trailed the Flerkin. Goose occasionally paused to pounce on an insect or bite off the head of a flower, but it calmly sat on the grass once it passed through the barrier.

Loki sighed as he felt his magic bound the moment he crossed through the shield. He glanced at his silent companion, pleased to see the glazed blue eyes remained intact. The power of the scepter remained in place, even if his own spells could not be utilized.

"_Bwana_, you wish to bring the_ paka_?" the commander asked and motioned towards the Flerkin.

"No, I do not. Leave the irritating beast here," he said. He gave an imperious glare at the orange cat and got into the aircraft.

The commander nodded and closed the door behind him, effectively separating Goose from the rest of the company.

Loki nearly choked on his surprise when they landed at the airstrip at the palace and he found the Flerkin calmly waiting for him there. He glared at the creature as he disembarked and began to run calculations in his head. It shouldn't be possible.

Granted, his knowledge on Flerkins was minimal at best. They were not native to the Nine and so Asgardian knowledge of the species was limited to traveler's accounts. He felt unsettled that the creature could have even greater capacities than he was aware of.

T'Chaka, T'Challa, Okoye, Shuri, a man in a grey suit, and five Dora Milaje surrounded him as he disembarked.

"You have returned," T'Chaka said as he took Loki's hand in his own. The old king seemed neither surprised nor upset by that statement. Instead, his keen eyes searched over Loki's companion as if he were a museum sculpture on display.

"Who is this?"

"I know not his name. His master called him Winter Soldier One. There were five advanced humans created by a nefarious Midgardian cult some years ago. They are strong, fierce, and formidable. Their master used this small army to topple the powers of Midgard. They have neither will nor memory. They are under a firm mind spell which ensures compliance and single-minded focus to the will of their master. When I discovered them, I temporarily over wrote their mind spell with one of my own. However, I fear that mine will not be permanent and, if it should fail, they will once again be vulnerable to exploitation by whoever would deign to call themselves master."

"Why do you bring him to us?"

"I have not the time to cure the mind spells of my army. It will take many weeks or months. I wish you to determine if a cure is possible so that he, and his companions, are once again master of their own minds. If not, I will dispose of them."

T'Chaka nodded and the man in the grey suit stepped forward. "This is Dr. Okapi, head of our medical services. He will assemble to team to determine his care."

Loki nodded. "When his cure is complete, I will bring the others. I could not spare them all at once, nor did I wish them all thrust upon your hospitality simultaneously. They are too much of a liability."

"We will see what can be done," T'Challa said and nodded towards his father.

"Go with them and do as they say," Loki commanded the silent man beside him. The part of his face not covered by a black face mask remained expressionless as he turned to follow.

Oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's Note: I got a bit stuck the last few weeks on this. I realized that in order to move forward, I'd need to make Wakanda make sense. I've been cheating thus far by writing Wakanda without taking the time to plot out the details of the country. I can't cheat anymore more now that we are in-country. I've spent a ridiculous number of hours the last few weeks trying to figure out how to make Wakanda make sense and I'm still figuring it out. _

_Basically, what does an uncolonized African country look like? How did they avoid the Scramble for Africa? What would the country be like? There's been a lot of scouring history books. It's still a work-in-progress and I'll explain more of my logic as we move on with future chapters. I'd love your feedback if you have any input!_

_Kishenga/Kikanda: in Black Panther, the creators painstakingly crafted their own form of writing based on Nsibidi, an ancient Nigerian script. For the purposes of this story, we will pretend it's the written form of Kiswahili which, when a written language, is called Kikanda. Kishenga will be the precursor to that (think Latin to Spanish or Ge'ez to Amharic). _

_Real confession, to make Wakanda make sense, I shouldn't even be using Kiswahili. They should be speaking their own unique Bantu language. I thought about trying to switch to Runyoro or Luganda, but I'm not that talented. I then thought about going Tolkien and making up a spoken version of Kikanda, but I'm not that talented. Thus, we will continue to stick with Kiswahili and maybe I'll come up with a good explanation…a better one than "it's closer than Xhosa." _

_Translations:_

_Mgeni: visitor/stranger_

_Hodi: can I come in?_

_Baba: father_

_Umelala_?: have you slept?

_Hapana. Siwezi_: No, I'm unable.

_Na mimi pia: Me too_

_Watunza: caretakers_

_Watu wote: all the people_

_Asante: thank you_

_umerudi_?: you have returned

indio: yes

bwana: sir/term of respect

paka: cat


	19. Chapter 19: Tours

**Chapter 19: Tours**

* * *

"Sit on that table here, please," Dr. Okapi said. He ushered towards a metal table in a glass-walled medical wing of Birnin Zana's expansive medical research lab. Long screens along each side of the room whirred with constantly updated data and communications. Small beeping sounds from various machinery prevented total silence from ever descending upon the large, high-vaulted facility.

Before Dr. Okapi, Winter Soldier One stood, his mask removed to reveal an impassive face. The man stood half a foot taller than the lean doctor beside him. The soldier's gaze met Dr. Okapi's without a flicker of awareness and the man remained standing. Dr. Okapi sighed and glanced behind him where the Asgardian prince stood leaning against a wall.

"Soldier, sit," Loki interjected with marked annoyance in his voice. He pushed himself off the wall behind the metal table and pointed. The man immediately sat.

"You are to listen to the doctor," Loki said with a slight huff. "I cannot remain here as your nursemaid."

Dr. Okapi rubbed at his dark brown eyes and pulled a series of devices from a cupboard. His low voice gave instructions to a series of assistants who flittered in and out of the room, as worker bees from a hive. They came back with boxes full of equipment and set up machinery around the room as per the doctor's instruction.

Dr. Okapi pulled a small scanner out of the pocket of his orange and grey lab coat and slowly an orange line of light moved across the soldier's body. A frenzied cacophony of high frequency beeps warred from each of the screens on the walls around them as he worked.

"You have said you have him under your mental control?" Dr. Okapi asked Loki, without removing his eyes from his scanner.

"Yes."

"Can you remove it so I can perform tests without your controls on him?"

"Yes," Loki said. "If you wish it."

He walked up to the unmoving soldier and stared at him with an imperious glare. Then Loki swung his fist into the man's forehead with so much force that the soldier flew off the table and into the wall behind him, creating a dent in the wall and a flurry of dust. The soldier did not rise again.

Dr. Okapi gave a startled cry and ran up to the soldier's unmoving body on the floor.

"Eh, eh, eh! _Bwana, umefanya nini_?" he said and rolled the soldier onto his back. He pulled out a pen-sized flashlight and shone it into the man's unresponsive eyes.

"Cognitive recalibration," Loki responded with a lackadaisical toss of his head. "I suggest you complete your tests before he returns to consciousness."

"Could you not remove your control another way?" Dr. Okapi asked through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps. However, I have never sought to discover another means and this is quite effective."

Dr. Okapi clicked under his breath in a way that clearly communicated his disapproval. He summoned two assistants over to lift the unconscious, and very heavy, soldier back onto the examination table.

"How long before you will finish your initial examination?" Loki asked, his eyes fixed on the orange characters filing across the black screen in front of him, instead of meeting the brown eyes of the doctor. Dr. Okapi removed a series of wires from a machine and motioned for his assistants to place them on the unconscious form on the table.

"Eh, it will not be too too long. Two hours? Four hours? I do not know."

"I will return in four hours," Loki said. "I suggest you do not let him wake unless you have him restrained."

Dr. Okapi nodded and Loki left them to their tasks.

Ooooooo

* * *

Loki sat on a secluded bench in the warm, humid morning sunlight. Dense foliage from the overhanging jackfruit trees gave him enough shade to keep him cool as he picked noncommittally at his meal with a fork. While incomparably better than the fare he survived off of in the SHIELD headquarters, it still felt foreign to him and tasted like Midgard. At this moment, he would easily have exchanged his meal for even the most meager of Asgardian soldier's rations simply to have something that reminded him of the home that was no longer his home.

He felt stifled in the growing warmth of the day, but he preferred the quiet isolation of the garden over the forced interaction he would likely stumble upon within the palace. Here, among the orange and yellow flowers surrounding him, he could hide away in the shadows and pick at his meal in peace.

He had not planned to free his army this quickly. They were useful as they were-firmly under his control and using their considerable powers for his purposes. If freed, it was highly possible they would choose not to serve him, or worse, fight for their old masters in opposition to him. However, he would allow them the opportunity to choose.

His dream the night before had compelled him to act now. A vision of himself with hazy blue eyes, kneeling at the boots of the Mad Titan, raising the scepter towards Thanos as an offering, had woken him out of his sleep with a tense jerk and torrent of sweat. Was it a memory or a threat?

Most likely, it was both.

It was time to destroy the scepter and he needed his army firmly controlled before he could risk its destruction.

Loki was roused out of his musings by the sound of footsteps. He groaned inwardly and attempted to shield himself deeper in the shadows, but to no avail. Jane Foster rounded a bend on a path and made her way directly towards him.

"There you are," she said with a forced cheerfulness in her voice. "The guard at the door told me you went this way."

She gave him a slightly unsure expression and pulled a lock of brown hair behind her ear. She shifted her weight, her pale yellow dress swishing from side to side, as Loki let the moment grow longer and longer without acknowledging her presence.

"Dr. Foster," he responded when he deemed her discomfort adequate. "I trust you are well."

Despite the politeness of his words, he infused ice into his tone and he saw her shrink inwards slightly. Then, she pulled herself taller, threw her shoulders back, and faced him, determination plain on her features.

"Where were you?" she asked. "You missed all the tours of the city and the lab and everything. You just vanished."

"I'm pleased you missed the pleasure of my company, Lady Jane. I assure you, my time was well spent in other pursuits. I am certain I can learn what I need to in my own way."

She let out a frustrated huff and wrapped her arms around her chest.

"Is there something else you wish to ask me apart from my past whereabouts?" he asked, exchanging his icy tone for one of patronizing boredom.

"Yeah. I had some questions on the calculations you gave me. The technology I have access to here is beyond anything I could have possibly dreamed I'd be able to get my hands on. It's amazing! I think I'll be able to start making progress now. I need to figure out how some of the Asgardian data you gave me translates into the data and star charts I have access to in the lab here," she said. She waved her hands more rapidly in tandem with the growing excitement in her voice as she forgot her discomfort in her explanation of her current pursuits.

"I will come this afternoon," he said.

"Ok. That'd be great."

She stood in silence, carefully measuring him with her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but then appeared to change her mind, and closed it again.

"I'll see you then," she said and she disappeared back on the path she first came on.

ooooo

"No, Jane," Shuri said with a laugh. "That button will open up communication channels to the entire palace. I do not think you wish for every room in the palace to hear you record your notes."

Jane glared at the orange symbol as if it had personally insulted her and turned to sulk at the list of symbols on a digital tablet in front of her.

"But this says here….oh, there's a little thingy underneath the hoop. I missed that part," she said with a groan. She hung her head onto her hands and rubbed her forehead. "I'm a scientist, not a linguist. Isn't there some kind of magic button you can push that will translate all this to English?"

Shuri shook her head, leaving the dimpled smile on her face.

"_Pole sana, daktari. Siwezi_," she said.

Jane looked up and gave Shuri and exasperated glare. Shuri raised both her hands in mock apology and broke into giggles.

"Fine, fine. Let me try again. I press this button here and then that one over there?" she said, and gestured towards the glowing orange symbols on the wall panel in front of her.

"_Indio! Unajua_!" Shuri replied.

"Ugh! Shuri-come on. Don't make me learn this many languages at once. What did you say?"

"She said, 'yes, you know," Loki said from the doorway and he strode into the center of the lab. Both sets of eyes swung towards him in surprise and he hid his enjoyment of their reaction.

"You understand Kiswahili?" Jane said, brown eyes full of curiosity.

"I speak the All-Tongue," Loki replied. "I can understand all languages."

"All-Tongue? Wait-is that some kind of magical language? Cause if so, that is totally not fair."

"It is a form of communication that does not rely on signifiers but solely on the signified to relay communications. It encompasses all forms of verbal and symbolic communication and grammatical structures in a way that ensures what is communicated is understood in its entirety by all parties involved," he said. He turned to look at the tablet of symbols that Jane held in her hand and smirked at her when he saw her confusion. "I suppose you could describe it as a kind of magical language."

"Figures," she said with a groan. "Let me guess. You can read all these symbols, too."

"Of course," he replied with a haughty toss of his hand.

"I hate you," she said and threw her tablet down onto the table with more force than she meant to. "I've spent the last week studying these just so I can work the basic programs and still I'm messing them up."

Loki shrugged and turned to take in the various displays around the cavernous underground vault that they found themselves in. Every table, corner, wall, and shelf overflowed with some type of equipment or project or display of blueprints. Lab technicians in goggles and white coats wandered from counters to tables to shelves and back again, tools and materials in hand. The laboratory hummed with life and electricity and creativity and possibility.

"So, this is the preferred throne room of the Princess of Wakanda," he asked, turning to address the petite woman besides Jane. "I hear tell that if someone wishes to find you, they look no further than this underground catacomb."

Shuri's eyes sparkled and she gave a slight bow. "I told _Baba_ to let me move my bed to that corner there and he refused. He said he would never see me again if I were allowed to sleep here. A few times a day, my mother forces me to leave here to eat and sleep and see the sun. But, yes, most times you will find me here."

"Most impressive," Loki said in a flat tone which did not differentiate between sincerity and sarcasm. "I am indebted to you for your assistance in the research of Dr. Foster," he continued, now with greater earnestness.

"I am always happy for a new challenge and the opportunity to learn something new," Shuri said. "And everyone in Wakanda is happier when I am busy. I tend to cause problems for everyone else when I am idle."

"And why is that?" Loki asked, giving her a sideways glance as he turned a small face mask over in his hand.

Shuri shrugged. "I do not handle boredom very well and have been known to cause mischief when I am not occupied."

Loki gave her a more appraising glance and placed the mask back on the table he found it.

"I see," he said. He ran his fingers along one counter of wires and tools before pausing to read a blueprint for a new vibranium hovercraft design.

"Dr. Foster, you wished to ask me some questions?" he said, turning now to where Jane stood and watched him.

"Ummm, yeah," she said. She pulled a notebook and laptop out of a briefcase at her feet and rifled through a series of papers. She pulled a pen out from behind her ear.

"I have a series of questions for you," she said and held her pen ready for his answers.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki felt weary to his core. When he was not discussing neurology and Midgardian biology with Dr. Okapi, he was discussing physics and astronomy with Dr. Foster. When he was free from their constant questions, he found himself assailed with his own relentless internal questions. He found little sleep.

He would need to return to the SHIELD headquarters soon and make his rounds of his Midgardian representatives to ensure rebuilding continued on schedule. However, he did not want to dwell on so many tedious and mundane tasks now. He decided an exploration of the city would help clear his crowded mind and provide him a respite.

While Shuri and T'Challa both invited him to accompany them on errands into the capital, he did not wish to be ushered through the city as a foreign dignitary on the tails of their sovereigns. He politely refused and claimed disinterest again and again, despite their repeated attempts and, worse, their suggestions that he meet with their Dr. Njeri. He would not, if he could avoid it.

Now, he would see the great city of Birnin Zana with his eyes instead of with his magic. He did not wish to advertise his intentions and so he made his way through the shadows along the palace and through the gardens to the great wooden gates of the palace. He choose to slip over the wall instead of through the guarded gates and into the city below.

The sprawling metropolis lay nested in a valley guarded over by steep emerald mountains. The sun glistened off the river meandering through the city and pouring through the urban jungle. Towers of rock and metal stood sentry throughout the valley, reaching towards the shallow blue sky above, like upright spears in a pit. Below, rivers of people and vehicles crowded through the tan, cobbled roads. Trains hovered above the ground and zipped between stations with a quiet hum that reverberated the streets below.

Loki clung to the shadows between buildings, his cloak pulled high over his head, shrouding his figure and his face. He climbed a series of sandstone stairs decorated with geometric patterns and stood on a balcony overlooking the city.

The bustling city life of Birnin Zana swept through the street below like a clamorous river of polychromatic chaos. Brightly clad Wakandans milled around street corners, bustled between shops, and chatted happily with companions at sidewalk cafes. Vendors weighted down with baskets of food and trinkets shouted advertisements of their wares. Vehicles skittered between tethered cows, free range chickens, and the occasional Vervet monkey. The air around him hung heavy with the fragrances of dust and concrete, frying oil and spices, sweaty bodies and livestock.

He continued on down the road to where he came to a wide marketplace dotted with vibrant tents, blankets, tables, and more people than he could count. He pulled his gray cloak tighter around his face, entered the market, and began to look around. He glanced over piles of fruits and vegetables, fried fish, and livestock, shoes and shirts, and all manner of wooden stools and spoons and metal saucepans. He paused to watch an artist carving a piece of wood when he noticed a stillness descend upon the clamoring throng of people like the cessation of wind through forest leaves.

He glanced up and saw all eyes around him fixed upon him as the many eyes turned as one to stare at him. The silence was soon replaced by whispers.

"_Who is this?" _

"_How did he arrive here?"_

"_Does the King know?"_

"_Are we betrayed?"_

"_We cannot let it escape."_

A small child pulled at his mother's dress and began to cry. "Mama, what kind of thing is that?" the child shouted, fear coloring his voice as he pointed at Loki and hid behind his mother's dress.

The whispers around him morphed into pointing fingers and shouts. He turned to leave but found his way blocked. The people nearest to him remained unmoved, as if a rabid ice hound had suddenly appeared in their market and they were unsure whether to shoot him or cage him or flee. He found the shouts surrounding him from all sides as people strained to see if their eyes deceived them or if he was really present among them.

Bodies inched closer to him, anger and fear written on their faces, hands grabbing whatever makeshift weapons they could grab. He gave a scan of his surroundings to determine his best route for escape and found none. His eyes now sought out possible weapons he could forge out of the materials available to him. Without his magic, he could not rely on illusion for his escape. He would need to fight. His fingers twitched with nervous energy and he reached out for a nearby tree to find a branch he could wrench off.

His attention soon turned back to the crowd which gave way to allow a path through them. The tall, frowning red and gold figure of the General walked straight towards him and the crowd around them breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"It is the General. He will not live," they whispered to themselves and stared, their eyes tainted with a mixture of curiosity, hatred, and fear.

General Okoye and four other Dora Milaje soldiers surrounded Loki. The General glared at the crowd and they backed up under the weight of her stare.

"_Mgeni,_ if you do not wish to return to the prisons, I suggest you come with me," she said in a harsh whisper not meant to be overheard by those around them.

Loki nodded and followed the General without protest as she turned to lead him back through the street. The other women flanked him on each side and kept wary eyes on the street. Okoye led them to a doorway which, when she scanned her hand upon it, opened to a tunnel beneath the city. The dimly lit, musty tunnel led them directly back into the palace grounds.

As they emerged into the sunlit gardens surrounding the palace, she turned her fierce glare onto him.

"You are either a fool or you have a wish for death," she spat. "Have you listened to nothing Njeri has told you? You will never enter the city unaccompanied again or I will not hesitate to throw you out of our borders or into our prisons. Now, wait on that bench and do not move from there. The King wishes to speak to you."

Loki's frown deepened at her commanding tone and he chafed at being so instructed and restrained. However, he did sit where she bade him to and he waited.

00000000000000000

* * *

_Author's notes: _

_Guest on 11/27: On my "treachery of Bollywood and not Wakaliwood": hah! Yes. I did commit treachery-but it wasn't without an excessive amount of forethought! Here's my reasoning behind why Shuri has Bollywood posters in her bedroom as opposed to "Wakaliwood" or "Wollywood" or "Wakandawood":_

_1.) Undoubtedly, Wakanda has the technology to have a stinkin awesome film industry, but it does not mean that they would choose to. Remember-super secret society that doesn't want a lot of attention. A well-developed media would not necessarily be helpful for that. Film documentation of Birnin Zana and the technology within Wakanda could easily get outside of Wakanda and into the wrong hands. It is possible they have a vibrant internal film industry but even then, they don't have a huge population (I'm thinking between 15-20 million and at least half of that is rural) to support it. Not saying it's not a possibility, but I think it safer and more likely that they have a greater emphasis on live performance as the preferred form of art as opposed to film. _

_2.) Let's say Wakanda does have a vibrant internal film industry… Shuri is hardly representative of all of Wakanda. She is not normal and she likes being eccentric. I would expect her taste in media to reflect that. And Bollywood-with all the colors, music, dance, flavor-just strikes me as very Shuri. She may enjoy her Wakandawood films as well, but I could easily see her obsessing over something entirely "other" simply because that's her personality (or my interpretation of her personality). This is also why she has "Lugaflow" posters as well...I'm sure Wakanda has a vibrant music industry...but Shuri likes what she likes and doesn't care about what anybody else thinks. (Okoye, on the other hand, I could see watching other movies from around the world simply to then critique how inferior they are to Wakanda's and being totally all "Wakandawood all the way".)_

_Guest: Star: Thanks for your reviews! All will be revealed in time. ;)_

Translations:

_Bwana, umefanya nini: Sir, what have you done?_

_Mgeni: visitor/outsider/stranger_

_Pole sana, daktari. Siwezi_: Very sorry, doctor. I'm not able.

_Indio! Unajua_!: Yes, you know.

_Baba_: Father


	20. Chapter 20: The Nile

**Shadow of Death**

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Nile**

* * *

The old king emerged from a side door and slowly shuffled across a tiled walkway to where Loki sat on a bench. The king lifted one of his hands and the Dora Milaje fell back, sinking into the shadows to give their monarch the space he desired. He ran his hands through his rough, white beard and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"_Sawa_, now prince, come take a walk with me," T'Chaka said, without meeting Loki's gaze once. Loki nearly refused simply to prove that he could-then thought the better of it -and he fell into step beside the king.

T'Chaka led him to where the tiled pathway brought them through a brilliantly colored tropical garden brimming with birds as colorful as the flowers. Orange and yellow flame lilies grew alongside white orchids and bright yellow tunguja flowers crept up a nearby wall lattice, filling the space with their sweet fragrance. A small stream gurgled through the center of the garden and fell in a small waterfall into a pond surrounded by a courtyard and benches. T'Chaka motioned for him to sit. T'Chaka carefully organized his long, dark blue robe and sat down beside him.

From their seats, they could look back onto the sand-colored palace. It did not tower over Birnin Zana but instead grew out of the city, interwoven within the fabric of the rest of the tall urban structures alongside the river. T'Chaka let the quiet silence grow before he addressed Loki.

"Tell me, prince, does Asgard host many dignitaries from other realms?"

"On occasion."

"Is there an expected code of conduct for how to show honor to your royal family and your great city?"

Loki rose one eyebrow but did not respond. He did not need to. He waited for T'Chaka to continue in his mild, calm manner.

"Birnin Zana is not Nairobi or New York or Beijing. We survive because our walls are tall and our shields thick. We allow few visitors and none which look like you. When my people see you, they will fear you because they will see you through the lens of our history. Men who looked like you came here to conquer and to steal. We have strict measures in place to keep outsiders out of our country and for you to appear in their midst, unaccompanied by a representative of the crown, it is enough to stir them into a frenzy of fear and panic.

"If you had stayed in the market for another fifteen minutes, the crowd would have turned into a mob and they would have sought to burn you alive. I do not doubt that you can defend yourself, however your defense would have cost the lives of many of my people and would only have increased their fear.

"Already, I will need to dispense three communication teams to represent the Golden Tribe to the people and answer their questions and quell their fears in response to your actions. It will take the majority of the day to sort this out and let the people know that all is well. Yet, if you walked through the marketplace accompanied by a representative of the Golden Tribe, they would merely have stared and whispered.

"Now, allow me to be clearer. As a representative of one of our oldest allies, you have been granted welcome here, however you must give us the honor due to us. You are welcome to wander the palace grounds and the palace itself, but you will not go into the city or surrounding countryside unaccompanied.

"In addition, you will seek out Dr. Njeri and allow her to do her job. She is one of the few outsiders that is permitted in Wakanda and she was specifically sought out because she is highly skilled. She will inform you of our ways so you do not learn them by trial and error. I prefer to spend my time on other matters instead of tending to such avoidable messes."

T'Chaka fell into silence. Loki could not construct a response and so joined in the silence of the king. T'Chaka stared at Loki with a look of such solemnity that Loki dropped his eyes to the flowers growing beneath his feet. T'Chaka heaved a sigh and began to speak again, his voice still low and full of the cadences of a story-teller.

"Sir Winston Churchill, who would later become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, came to visit our neighboring country of Uganda over a hundred years ago. The country greatly impressed him-the beauty of the people, the land, the life within. When he came to the birthplace of the Nile, the greatest of rivers, he first spoke of its might and glory and then in the next breath, his dreams to 'harness the whole river' and build a dam at the source. He saw the mighty rapids and falls and determined to conquer them, tame them, harness them.

"He was not alone. During the last 130 years, this entire continent was 'owned' by outsiders, save for Ethiopia and Wakanda. Outsiders came and conquered our highest peaks with their flags and their names. They redrew our borders with their guns and their maps. They conquered our people with their money and their bullets. The taller the mountain, the more desirable the ascent. The stronger the people, the more glorious their defeat. The more powerful the river, the greater the desire to dam its torrents, to claim and control its rapids.

"The outsiders called this the 'dark continent.' We were the nameless, faceless void upon which they could inscribe their own names, their own stories, forge their own fortunes, and recreate a world in their own image and for their own glory. The peoples they found, they simply erased and wrote a new story over what already existed, but that they could not, or chose not to, see."

T'Chaka paused again and then faced Loki. He placed a hand on Loki's shoulder and his voice grew even softer, almost weary.

"Prince Loki of Asgard, the words you spoke during your speech in Germany are a much too common refrain to Wakanda and our neighbors. We have been told to kneel, to be ruled, that we crave subjugation, that it is our natural state. Because of the continent which birthed us, outsiders have told us for generations that we are made to be ruled-that it is our birthright, no matter how far from our homeland our feet take us.

"If you are here to conquer Wakanda, I do not doubt you would succeed. Our secrecy is our one defense and, as you are here, it is no longer protecting us from your designs. So, I ask you now, are you Churchill or are you the Nile? Do you wish to dam our rivers and tame our torrents or do you fear being tamed and dammed and utilized for the whims of another?"

T'Chaka's brown eyes sought his face and carefully measured his reaction. Loki fought to ensure he allowed none. Instead, he gave a short nod of his head.

"I will seek out your Dr. Njeri," Loki finally said, fully aware it was not the complete response the king desired, but unwilling to accede to more.

"It is good," T'Chaka said. "I have spoken. I will leave you now."

The king rose from the bench, smoothed out the back of his knee-length robe, and motioned with one hand. Four Dora Milaje soldiers materialized out of the shadows. He gave them a nod and they escorted him down the tiled pathway back to the palace.

oooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Shuri stood before a series of screens in her lab and carefully threaded her eyes through a new stream of data from their latest test with the new telescope adjustments. The Asgardian prince, while as prickly as the hedgehog living in the palace gardens, had given her a wealth of information during his last few visits. This opened doors to completely new research for her and Jane, much to their excitment. The rows of orange numbers continued to flow past her. Shuri bit her lip and scrawled a few notes on her arm. Her arm filled up and she needed more space. So, she swung around to find a digital tablet to write on instead.

As she looked for her tablet, she noticed a little bundle of orange push its way through a door. Goose traipsed into the lab like it were the little furry emperor of the space. It paused to wash its haunches and then gracefully leapt from a book shelf onto the white lab table. Shuri, distracted from her search, came to scratch the soft cheek of the cat. It rewarded her with a loud purr and rubbed itself against her hand in appreciation.

"Here, _paka,"_ she said and pulled out a dried fish she had brought from the kitchen. Goose happily ate the little fish and looked at her so imploringly she wished she had snuck a few more into her bag.

"_Hakuna, paka. Tosha_."

The cat coughed slightly before stretching out its limbs with a lazy yawn. Then Goose coughed again, harder this time, followed by a gagging and hacking sound.

"Eeee, eee, eee! _Hapana, paka!_ Not a hairball…on my lab table. _Paka enda!"_ she cried and tried to push the cat off the table. Before she could, the cat's mouth opened and out came an elongated silvery metal object which, according to all the laws of physics, should not have been able to come out of that cat.

She wrinkled her face in disgust as she caught sight of the shapely saliva streaming off it and all over her table. Goose jumped off, rubbed against her ankle, and disappeared down the hall without another look back.

"_Nini_?" she asked. She grabbed a rag from another table and came to investigate. She mopped up some of the mess along the dark ridges of the handle of what appeared to be an intricately decorated metal hammer. She ran her finger along the design carved into each side of its head and stared.

"How did you fit inside a cat?" she asked herself, in a loud whisper. "And where did you come from?"

She knew how she could find a few answers to her questions. Her scanner, the good one, was still in her room where she left off running tests on the Asgardian box and cloth. Shuri picked the hammer up in one hand and took it to the sink to wash if off. Then she left it on the countertop to dry as she made a quick trip to her room.

Oooooooooo

* * *

Loki, in honor of his oath to the king, set out to find Dr. Njeri as soon as he finished his meal. A King's Guard in the kitchens directed him to the lab where Dr. Njeri was last seen. As he entered, he did not find Dr. Njeri, but he did find Shuri and Jane busily employed in Shuri's favored wing. He was about to inquire into their knowledge of the doctor's whereabouts, when he stopped and stood in shock at the scene he saw before him.

Shuri flitted about Jane with a black box in her hands. The box blinked with different colored lights and buttons. She ran the device up and down over a silver, metallic object that Jane held carefully in her hand and rotated in a circle whenever Shuri came to the edge of it. So engrossed in their work, both remained oblivious to his entrance.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked, more harshly than he meant to.

Both women jumped and turned to face him with slightly guilty expressions on their faces.

"Running tests," Shuri said, her expression morphing into feigned innocence.

"Of course. The pair of you do little other than run tests. What, pray tell, are you running tests on?"

Jane's face only grew redder, like a child caught stealing tarts.

"This hammer," Shuri said, while her keen eyes fixed on him with too much calculation. "Goose spit it out on my lab table earlier today."

"Is it Thor's?" Jane asked. "I thought it looked a lot like his…but I only saw it that once and it wasn't for very long."

Loki's eyes shifted back to the silver object which remained…not on the lab table across the room, but in Jane's hands…held upright and into the air. Loki scoffed inwardly at himself for his momentary panic.

It couldn't be Mjolnir…

He walked closer to inspect and his eyes grew wide as he recognized the runes and the distinctive carvings of Thor's hammer. He could feel the familiar hum of power emanate off its surface.

Jane, noticing his reaction, stood up and began to apologize. "We didn't mean to be disrespectful to his memory or sacrilegious to the hammer or anything. It just came out of a cat and we were trying to figure out how and why. You can have it back now," she said and held out the hammer for him to take.

"The…you…" Loki said, uncharacteristically stammering. He stared at the hammer and then at Jane, still lost as to what exactly was happening. "Goose had Mjolnir?"

Shuri nodded. "I saw the hammer come out of the cat's mouth. _ Haiwezekani_, but there it is."

"The flerkin…it isn't a cat," Loki said, half-distracted and not even paying attention to what he was saying.

"Aye, bwana. I may believe you now. This alien _paka_-what you call it? I do not think I can even pronounce that-'flah-ken'…'frawky'…it is too too hard," Shuri said as she tripped over the word. She stopped struggling and gave a wide-eyed look at her hands. "_Engoja kidogo_, will I acquire some exotic alien disease from the…creature's….saliva? I washed the hammer and my hands off with soap and hot water, but I don't want to lose my hand or find my skin has fallen off tomorrow."

"You…no. The greatest dangers posed by a flerkin are their tentacles and their ability to swallow things into dimensional pockets," he said. "Wait-you washed the hammer?"

"_Indio. _Tentacles? Dimensional pockets? I think you need to explain that _kidogo, bwana_._"_

Loki ignored her and began pacing the room.

"You washed it on the table?"

"No. In the sink. There was too too much saliva and little pieces of hair and other foreign matter I'd rather not think about stuck to the hammer. It should be very clean now."

"You simply walked over and picked it up?" Loki said, incredulousness marring his voice.

"_Indio_," Shuri said with a nod and a slight shrug.

Loki let out a huff of exasperation. Without another word, he turned and left the room. Shuri met Jane's questioning gaze with one of her own.

"What was that about?" Jane asked.

"_Sijui_…I do not know," Shuri said.

Both women waited for a few minutes and watched the door. When Loki failed to reemerge, they turned back to the hammer and Shuri's scanner.

"The tests are complete. Here!"

Shuri projected the rows of data onto the nearest screen and both women huddled around it with greedy expressions on their faces.

"Wow! Look at the energy readings coming off that thing!" Jane said.

"It is very…." Shuri began but her reply was interrupted by Loki's sudden reappearance. He swept back into the room and peered at both women, as if a general commanding his troops.

"Jane," he said, pointing towards her.

"Yeah?"

"Pick up Mjolnir."

"Ok."

She walked over to the hammer and lifted it. While her thin arms showed the strain of its weight, she easily hefted it to her will.

"Princess, will you also?"

"_Sawa,"_ Shuri said. She walked over and picked up the hammer and carried it to Loki. "_Bwana, shika_."

"No. I thank you. Place it down where you had it again," he said. He would not test this in front of an audience. Without a word, he turned and left the room again.

He returned again at half past midnight. He waited until he saw the women had finally abandoned their work and gone to bed. He walked over to the hammer and felt the familiar leather of its handle in his own hand. He closed his eyes and heaved.

Nothing happened. The hammer stayed rooted on the shelf and failed to budge in his grasp. He tried again, but it was just as it had been in New Mexico. Immovable. Solid. Condescending. He gritted his teeth and fled the room again.

He would not speak to the cursed hammer again this night (despite how he had wished to the last few nights). He would, however, kick the blasted flerkin the next time he came across the miserable excuse for a creature.

Ooooooooo

* * *

_Author's (super nerdy) notes:_

_Goose: I refer to Goose as an "it" because Goose is not a cat and is not a mammal of Earth-maybe flerkins follow different reproductive patterns? Undeveloped thought…so…Goose will remain an "it". ;)_

_Sir Winston Churchill and the Nile-he wrote about this in his book "My African Journey," published in 1908. I came across the story in another book-Inside Africa by John Gunther Harper. It's a fascinating old book that came from a library dumpster. Written in 1953 by an American travel writer, he describes the conditions in colonial Africa during this particular era. What an era to write in! They still have the idealism and optimism of the colonial "civilizing" projects, but with the burgeoning sparks for independence smoldering across the continent._

_Dark continent: Jean and John Comaroff's article "Africa Observed: Discourses of the Imperial Imagination" is my favorite exploration of European ideas of Africa as the "dark continent" and the implications this had for the colonial enterprise and the development of scientific racism. They say, "In investigating the savage, the West set up a mirror in which it might find a tangible, if inverted, self-image." In other words, Africa's creation in the European imagination is not a reflection of what is actually there, but what Europeans wish to see in order to see themselves as more superior. It's a representation not based on actuality but on ignorance and ethnocentrism._

_I should probably note that in this particular manifestation of the fictional country of Wakanda, my goal is not to create a "perfect" utopian African nation that has it's act all together, but to create a picture of what the country would look like based on the conditions presented in the MCU, mainly, what a super technologically advanced, secretive, and uncolonized central African country looks like. Thus-it should be flawed (since all nations/cultures are flawed in some way or another) and it should not be the mirror image of the Western world (trying to avoid the tropes of the "noble savage" or "orientalism"…if it's possible to fully avoid such things)._

_Golden Tribe: the concept of tribe I will utilize for Wakanda is not the ethnicity-based definition as was perpetuated by the colonial enterprise and the British policy of indirect rule (which created tribes in some areas which formerly did not have them) and created a more racial and unchanging tenor to people groups which previously were much more fluid and based on economic or political belonging. Thus, in this particular exploration of the fictional country of Wakanda, I will base the five "tribes" (as granted us by the comics) on the concept of tribe as an economic situation. (Example: pre-Belgian Rwanda had the agrarian Hutu and the pastoralist Tutsis. The "tribes" were based on class and economic activity until the Belgians formalized it and made it based on birth and racial characteristics such as nose size, skin color, etc.) The tribes in Wakanda will be more fluid and less based on ancestry and language and more on class and position within the economic/political system. (Aidan Southhall's Illusion of Tribe gives a great exploration of the creation of tribalism in E. Africa….for anyone who is a nerd like me and likes reading this kind of thing). ;)_

_I think I've figured out how to explain my use of Kiswahili in this story as the primary language that is more acceptable than "it's closer than Xhosa": Swahili traders (people from coast of Kenya and Tanzania) made it inland as far as Uganda by the 1830's and Kiswahili developed as the primary inter-tribe language of communication for the whole region….thus, while not indigenous to Wakanda, in their "history", they adopted it for ease of communication with their neighbors. And all Wakandans grow up learning a bunch of languages and so speak their mother tongue along with Kiswahili and English and French and whatever other local languages they pick up. (See-that takes care of both the use of English and Kiswahili here.) ;)_

_P.S. building an imaginary real country is much harder than working with a real country…or an imaginary country._

_Translations: (forgive me and Google if they are wrong!)_

_Sawa: ok_

_Paka enda: cat go away._

_Hakuna, paka. Tosha: Nothing, cat. Enough._

_Haiwezekani: It shouldn't be possible_

_Sijui: I don't know._

_Indio: yes_

_Hapana: no_

_Bwana, shika: sir, take it._


	21. Chapter 21: The Traveler

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Traveler**

* * *

"_Hodi_," came a male voice outside her door. A solid rap sounded on her front door. Joyce Njeri closed her book, placed her report on her desk, and looked at her clock. Past midnight-who would visit her at such an hour? She quickly tied a _lesso _around her night clothes, tightened the wrap around her braids, and went to her door.

She peeked outside from her window. There, a King's Guard towered over her stoop with his armored arm poised for another knock. Behind him stood the staunchly upright figure of the Asgardian prince. After hearing about the debacle in the marketplace, she knew he would seek her out sooner or later. Based on the hum of crickets, geckos, and mosquitos, it was decidedly later than she anticipated.

"_Karibuni_,"she said. She raised one eyebrow and opened the door wide enough for them to step through. She placed her reading glasses into her shirt pocket. She gave hushed instructions for her house girl to bring refreshments then she ushered for her guests to sit down.

The King's Guard gave a slight nod of his head in her direction and a slightly apologetic expression as he noted her night clothes. Then he sank into the intentional silence worn by those who must remain cloaked in the everyday invisibility of the mundane.

"So, you have come," Njeri said, now turning to the prince with her full attention. A dark green cloak covered most of him, despite the humid heat of the night air. He kept his long fingers motionless on his lap as he leaned against her couch with an easy grace. She waited for him to speak.

"I did not mean to give offense with my unchivalrous behavior, Lady Joyce," he said in a low voice. His face maintained an impressive impassivity that veiled his true emotions. He could just as easily be mocking her as sincerely contrite.

"Mmmmm," she replied, raising both eyebrows and fixing him with her stare. He met her gaze for a brief instant and then refused to look at her again. "You avoided me as if I were a malarial mosquito," she finally said. "Tell me, who do I remind you of?"

Loki's mask shifted and his eyes grew tight. He began to tap his foot on the red tiled floor. She watched him and sighed. She would not press him. He was here. That was enough. She sat up straighter on her couch and attempted to paint as much warmth as possible across her facial expressions.

"I am very happy you are here and we can meet now. You are very welcome and I look forward to getting better acquainted. I hope we can be of great assistance to each other. Now, tell me, Prince Loki Odinson of Asgard, what is the name you would like me to call you by?"

Loki grimaced slightly at her address. "Prince Loki will suffice. And you? I am not as familiar with the Midgardian honorifics as I was in past centuries."

Njeri chuckled. "Past centuries…eh! Eh! Eh! The questions I would like to ask you! Prince Loki, I will tell you something. When I am out in the world and need to be seen as a big woman, I go by Dr. Joyce Njeri. But tonight, we are not out in the world but in my home. In here, you will call me Njeri."

"The traveler?" Loki asked.

"Ah! Shuri told me you have a gift for languages! What a beautiful gift! So, it even goes so far as to understand Kikuyu names? Yes. I was named after my father's mother's eldest sister. It is somehow fitting, or so my sisters like to tell me, since they say I spend too much time lost and travelling around. Tell me, Prince Loki, does your name carry a meaning for your people?"

Loki sighed and at first she thought he was not going to answer. He tapped one long finger against his chin and pursed his lips slightly.

"My birth coincided with the end of the Ice Wars and so my name means 'to close' or 'the end' or 'the knot'-as in the knot that ends a piece of thread. I suppose my name, also, proves fitting."

Loki's expression grew dark with this contemplation. As much as she wished to ask him more, she instead bottled up her barrage of questions. As her mother used to tell her, "_haraka haraka, haina baraka_." She must be patient. So, she gave him what she hoped would be an encouraging smile.

A young woman slipped into the living room from a side door. She carried a tray of fruit and a pitcher of juice. She placed these on a small table between the two couches and silently vanished again. Njeri brought a plate to the shadows where the King's Guard stood in solemn watch over them. She whispered a few words to him and then rejoined her Asgardian guest.

Njeri watched him as he poked at a passion fruit with a spoon and a skeptical expression. He placed the barely touched passion fruit back on the platter, and picked up a piece of papaya instead. It received a similar fate.

"Tell me, Prince Loki, _umekuja hapa kwanini_? You did not come to speak of names."

"You know why I have come," Loki said with one eyebrow raised in challenge.

She weighed her answer. Some fish were best caught with a spear through the center and others were best caught by chasing them into a net. She decided to throw her spear.

"You are here because you threw half of Birnin Zana into an uproar and now T'Chaka has firmly requested you seek me out."

Loki's expression did not change. He stared at her and waited, as if he were the gazelle and she the cheetah. He would not make this easy for her. She sighed.

"Prince Loki, I serve as Cultural Liaison for the Kingdom of Wakanda. I assist their dignitaries who travel outside of Wakanda to other nations. I am a resource to all the _wageni_, or outsiders, who are invited into Wakanda. On the rare occasions an outsider is asked to enter, even if only to the fake capital at Hoima, I serve as their intermediary. I introduce the _wageni_ to the culture and customs and etiquette of Wakanda. I also assist in mediating their needs to their Wakandan hosts. My job here, if you will let me do it, is to help you."

The _mgeni_ gave her a dismissive glance which clearly communicated what he thought of requiring assistance in any of his endeavors.

"You speak of Wakanda as if you are not of them," he asked, meeting her gaze again.

"No. _Si Mkanda. Mimi ni Kikuyu. Natoka_ Kenya."

"How did you come to be here?"

"It is a long story," she said, sensing his attempt to flow their conversation onto a different path.

"You wished to speak with me," the prince said with a half-smile. "Tell me your story."

"_Sawa._ I will. Take some more juice first," she said and refilled his cup. She sat back deeper into the striped blue and white cushions of her couch. "I met Dr. Okapi-you have met, _indio_?"

"Yes."

"Of course. Wakanda occasionally conducts humanitarian missions around the world. While the kingdom does not wish for outsiders, they see the benefit in sending their own people out to the rest of the world to gain ideas and exposure to the conditions elsewhere. Dr. Okapi was on such a mission in Accra during the early 90's. He was assisting at a medical training center for some time and I was working as a consultant for a government project at the University of Ghana. We spent some time collaborating on projects and got to know each other.

"Some time later, King T'Chaka came to Dakar for the summit for the Organisation of African Unity. Dr. Okapi invited me to attend with him and he introduced me to the king. We spoke for some time. He requested to meet me again and so, some months later, we met in London. By the next December, the king sent a representative offering me a position within the government of Wakanda.

"Well, an opportunity to see one of the most little researched countries in the world? I could hardly refuse such an opportunity. I've lived in Wakanda over a decade now and it has been an anthropologist's dream. Unfortunately, I cannot publish any of my findings outside of Wakanda, which has chafed. However, I do understand and I did swear to uphold their secrecy. Their very survival has for so many generations depended entirely on their secrecy. I cannot regret it. I have been very happy here and I am blessed to do the work that I do."

As Njeri finished her tale, the Asgardian uncrossed his legs, sat further back in his chair and fidgeting with an intensity that seemed fueled by some internal decision. She assumed, correctly, that he would not share his own thoughts or reactions, despite their obvious presence within his fervent gaze.

"Lady Njeri, you are tasked to teach me the ways of Wakanda. I will listen, though I make no promises to be an attendant student," he said.

"You would not be the first pupil who disturbs me," she responded with a smile. "Well, let us begin then. When you are too too tired and wish to finish, we will end."

He nodded his assent.

"I will try to summarize, but there is much you need to know. First, to understand Wakanda, you must understand their history. The houses of the present are built on the foundations of the past. All peoples have a story of their birth as a people. The Wakanda, they say they were born when a meteor fell from the heavens and gave them their sacred store of vibranium. The vibranium gives the land its fertility, the people their strength, and their economy its cornerstone. It also provided the impetus for the alliance between the five original tribes under the rule of Shenga, the first Black Panther.

"Unlike most of their neighbors, these tribes allied together willingly and for mutual benefit. No blood was shed and no conquest achieved. The Wakanda say this alliance occurred in peace because of a vision Shenga received from the goddess Bast on the night of the meteor's fall. Bast appeared in the form of a panther and spoke to him.

'_Siri_ is your shield. _Unyenyekevu_ is your spear. _Ushirikiano_ is your strength,' she said.

"These are the Three Sacred Pillars of Wakanda that undergird everything else. Do you understand the terms?"

"Yes," the prince replied. "Secrecy, humility, and unity."

"Correct," Njeri said. "You cannot understand Wakanda without understanding these core values which are interwoven throughout every aspect of political, economic, social, and spiritual life. They say, 'it takes three legs to support a stool,' and these are the three legs which support Wakanda.

"_Siri, _or secrecy and hiddenness, is their shield or their protection from the hungry eyes of the rest of the world. What is unknown cannot be coveted or stolen. They fiercely protect their secrecy because it is their greatest defense against conquest. They have a saying, 'Walls keep in and keep out.' They have remained a self-contained island in an ocean of constant change and continual power struggles by building tall walls of invisibility around themselves.

"Next, _unyenyekevu_ is compared to a spear because they say it is their offensive weapon against destruction. It is humility, but it is also modesty and a desire to stay small. They believe it is not power that preserves but the restraint of power. They say, 'the tallest tree is the first the meet the ax.'

"Some call this '_tosha_' or a policy of 'enough.' Wakanda intentionally refuses to depend on growth based on unsustainable exploitation of human or natural resources, or through conquest of other nations. The vibranium, their land, their sacred herb which grows on the vibranium mound, are only enough when their hearts are at peace. If their hearts are hungry, they will eat it all and then starve. They will eat their own hearts in their desire for 'more.'

"Finally, _ushirikiano _is their strength because their cooperation and cohesiveness provides the mortar for all of Wakanda to build. They say 'if the grass is gone, the lion will starve.' This refers to the idea that the kingdom is only as strong as its weakest member and all are interdependent on each other. They believe that the fate of the king will be determined by the fate of the farmer.

"These Three Pillars they say were given to them by Bast in order to protect and preserve their sacred kingdom throughout all generations. Their oral history, which eventually developed into written history, says the alliance of tribes grew because they held to the vision Bast gave them. For thousands of years, they grew slowly by slowly. Their priests, shamans, and prophets developed spiritual protections for their kingdom. Their craftsmen build ever stronger vibranium weapons and tools. Their architects built monuments to reach to the sky and house all the multitudes. Their farmers' fields grew in fertility and production. The vibranium-soaked land bestowed upon residents a resistance to disease and a slightly longer life expectancy than surrounding peoples. As long as they maintained the Three Pillars, they thrived.

"They did not always remember or hold to their values. At one point, back when they were known as the Kingdom of Shenga, or Bashenga, they nearly forgot their origins. They say the king and his people grew proud. They desired to shine like a glorious flame for all their neighbors to see. They set up a public capital at Ntusi and decided to trade with other kingdoms. The metal work of the Bashenga was sought by all. Their salt mines in Kibiro brought them incredible wealth. Their cattle were a gift from the gods and the envy of all. Their trade networks ranged from Egypt to the Indian Ocean.

"Bashenga shone as the brightest star and the eyes of the surrounding nations grew envious. They were invaded by the Luo to the north in the 16th century. They abandoned their capital in Ntusi and returned to hiding.

"They soon forgot the lessons of their past a second time. They built a mighty empire which they called Kanda. Their trade of ironwork, ivory, salt, and firearms expanded their influence farther than it ever had before. They built a public capital in Masindi and developed a strong military to protect their people from invaders and slavers. They remembered enough of their pillars that they refused to join in the sale of slaves that began to infiltrate the continent like a contagious parasite. In the 18th century, they grew to be the largest of all the trees in the Great Lakes region.

"However, other nations grew and longed to be the tallest tree. Lands that the Kanda had conquered now began to fall to others. The Ankole took the lands in the south, Rwanda broke away, and the kingdom of Buganda fought to conquer their eastern edges and take over control of trade routes across Nyana.

"Buganda grew large and fat on the sale of slaves and weapons. They wished to be the tallest tree of all. When they could not defeat the Kanda quickly, the Baganda sold their freedom to the British colonizers to prove themselves the strongest. They gained their victory against Kanda and lost the real war and soon their kingdom fell to the British ax.

"At their defeat, the Kanda were reminded of the wisdom of their ancestors and embraced their Pillars again. They sought to remember their values. They no longer wished to be the tallest tree. They moved their public capital to Hoima and made sure to fortify their defenses even further. They hid. They developed both Muslim and Christian enclaves within their public capital to ensure the Arab and European colonizers had no reason to send missionaries. They refused explorers and humanitarian workers. Their lack of participation in the slave trade removed economic and moral justifications for their conquest.

"But, as you yourself said to the king, even a homely maiden remains a worthy conquest and Europe grew hungry. Like roosters sparring to show their strength, the kings of Europe met to show which would be the biggest and the strongest. They fought over a map and drew lines in ink which would eventually become lines of blood across a continent three times larger than that of its colonizers. They vied even over piles of sand and desert simply to make it theirs and show how great they were.

"Kanda and Ethiopia were the only survivors, though neither escaped entirely unscathed. Kanda was renamed Wakanda by Europe and has been known by that name ever since. Europe rewrote the entire continent with their labels and policies and reformed the people into their image. After decades of draining the resources from the rest of the world, Europe turned inward and warred to conquer itself. This led to two wars that spread across the world and provided tinder for what would eventually become a cry for freedom by the colonized.

"African nations spilled blood and many tears and gained their physical independence but not their mental and economic independence. There is a saying, 'the colonists never left, only their color changed.' The systems of exploitation the colonizers created were not removed, but simply given newer and hungrier masters to drain the continent. Seeds of violence and exploitation grew deep roots and bore fruit in many bloody, bitter wars.

"Wakanda has spent the last few decades surrounded by an ocean of conflict. This precarious position has only reinforced their reliance on their Pillars. As technology has developed, Wakanda has sent emissaries to observe the innovations of many nations in order to incorporate the best ideas into their own defenses.

"No people group is perfect and Wakanda certainly has their flaws. They will not tolerate outsiders, as you noticed, and will not hesitate to defend their land. Mob justice ensures no unrecognized outsiders are permitted to escape. There are strong social leveling mechanisms in place. Individual ambition, greed, or quests for recognition are taboo and seen as contrary to their values. The individual is secondary to the group and the nation and this leads to some feeling caged or trapped by their context. This also means certain elements of change or creative expression are seen with skepticism.

"There are some, especially those who have seen first-hand the violence of the past forty years in this region, who feel Wakanda should take a more active role in world politics. They say that they are obligated to help those less fortunate and share their wealth of knowledge and resources with the rest of the world-especially those who bear the scars of colonialism. They say Wakanda should allow refugees a home and place of safety. They say that Wakanda lives in perpetual deception and should be allowed to finally walk in truth.

"Their elders, however, feel very differently and say that the well-intentioned aspirations of the youth are simply a new form of the 'white man's burden' and a Wakandan version of colonialism. They cite the need to maintain their traditional values of humility, unity, and secrecy. They fear all outsiders, regardless of origin.

"Tensions have grown even tighter after the bombing of New York and subsequent global chaos of The Fall. The elders claim it is their Pillars that kept Wakanda safe and xenophobia has grown even worse. Riots have broken out around the homes of political proponents of change. There is growing mistrust of the royal family due to their openness to innovation and new ideas.

"Princess Shuri's gifts and creativity have encouraged more openness than has been permitted in generations. She does not handle boxes very well and tends to break all molds, whether intentionally or not, and she has transformed the nation repeatedly in her short life simply by being herself. Yet, the more conservative elements of the elder council distrusts the royal family because of their openness to Shuri's creativity.

"Your appearance on the gateway of Wakanda has not helped matters or furthered goodwill between the council and the king. These are turbulent times and, I fear, change is inevitable for all."

Njeri paused to gather her thoughts. She finished her cup of juice and let her eyes fall upon the photograph of her daughter nearby. Her daughter who would never be permitted to visit her in Wakanda….

"Prince Loki," she continued after she swallowed again. "You have been told the sacred Three Pillars of Wakanda. As a guest, you are requested to respect and uphold them and to protect Wakanda."

Loki smirked slightly in response to this. "I would assume that would include no more unaccompanied trips to the marketplace," he said.

Njeri gave a tight smile. "Only if you want to give the entire communications team another headache…they are still working to alleviate all the panicked citizens from your last visit. However, given your reputation for mischief, that might not be the best deterrent."

"Threats of imprisonment will suffice," the prince said with a grimace.

"I suppose that is better than the inconvenience of bureaucrats," she replied.

The prince gave a long, cat-like stretch that reminded Njeri of his orange-furred companion. He drew himself to his feet and stared at the King's Guard who sat with half-lidded eyes, leaning against the wall.

"Let us return," the prince said. "I have had my fill of learning for one day."

Njeri hoped it would only be the first of many such lessons.

Oooooooooooooooo

* * *

The sun's rays broke over the mountains by the time Loki returned to his room in the palace. He did not wish to sleep, despite his weariness. His nightmares were growing in frequency and duration as the nights progressed and he did not wish another occurrence. As he walked into his room, Goose accosted him with a leap into his lap and a resounding purr. Loki frowned and pushed the beast from his lap.

"Be gone, creature," he said. His commands never worked so he didn't know why he bothered. Goose merely accosted his ankles instead of sitting on him.

Loki's eyes were drawn to a small package on the floor near his feet. It sat in a wet puddle of Flerkin saliva.

"Disgusting creature," he said with a grimace. "What have you ingested now?"

He walked over and found a black, metal object with wires sticking out of each side. Beside it sat a note written on the stationary of the king.

"_A gift from the Midgardian host of the Tesseract."_

Loki could not determine which perplexed him further-how the basic components of a Kree communication transmitter came to Midgard or what was meant by a "host" of an Infinity stone? He turned the piece of equipment over and over in his hand to investigate. It showed signs of wear and possible battle. It was missing a few components, but none that could not easily be reproduced on Midgard.

If fixed, it could be used to communicate across the entirety of the Nine.

If properly calibrated and boosted with magic, it could be used to communicate all the way to Xander and maybe even beyond.

He smiled. The search for the rest of the Infinity Stones would not have to wait for a bifrost to commence after all.

Oooooooooooooooo

* * *

"So who is he?" Jane asked. She stared at the two pictures Shuri displayed on the screen and chewed on the cap of her pen. Shuri let her stare at the images a little longer. The first showed a clean-shaven military officer with a jaunty smile. The second showed a bearded man with bedraggled hair and shadowed eyes. It was the same man, yet somehow not fully the same man.

"James Buchanan Barnes, from Brooklyn, New York. I ran both fingerprints and facial recognition scans and both came back as positive matches."

"Great! So you have a name and a place. When he is, you know, fixed, he will be able to go home? I guess, if any of his home is still left."

"_Hapana_. There is a problem," Shuri said. She gave a sideways glance behind her and then dropped her voice to a whisper. "He was born in 1916."

"What! But that would make him…96?"

"_Ni kweli._ Records show he died in 1944."

Jane's mouth fell slightly open and she rubbed her hands on her temples.

"Right. So…_can_ he be fixed?"

"I do not know. Dr. Okapi is consulting neurologists from around the world to see what he can find. I am going to hack into some more classified databases to see if I can discover what exactly was done to him and why he was declared dead."

"You know, I'd say all that is impossible, but, yeah. I spent the morning sitting with an alien cat that can ingest hammers with as much power as an atomic bomb."

Shuri shrugged. "I would suggest you expand your definition of 'possible'."

A tall figure strode through the door and dropped a black octagon on the lab table between them. Both women jumped in surprise before laughing at each other.

"You could at least make noise when you walk," Shuri chided. "You nearly made me swallow my heart."

Loki gave a slight bow. "My apologies, princess. I did not intend to startle you."

Shuri shook her head in mock reproach. She could tell by the way his eyes glistened that he fully intended to startle them and he took great delight in their reaction.

"Ah! It has been long! I have been waiting for weeks to run tests on this," Shuri said and picked up the device.

Loki opened his mouth and closed it again. He took the device out of her hands and held it aloft.

"When, pray tell, did this device arrive and why was I not informed of it sooner?"

Shuri looked at him curiously. He appeared very serious-and very annoyed.

"Your gift arrived the day after you arrived in Wakanda. _Baba_ had it left in your room for you the morning after he received it."

Loki released a long-suffering sigh and grumbled under his breath. He placed the device back on the table for Shuri.

"By the Norns, Goose should be flayed alive and fed to the All-Father's ravens. The time that has been wasted….Tell me, where did it come from?"

"The note explained all we know of it," Shuri said, failing to hide her amusement. "Did you find the note?"

"Yes," Loki said. "It raised more questions than it gave answers."

Shuri raised her hands in an apologetic gesture. "Do you know what it is?"

"Of course. It is a Kree communication transponder."

"Kree?" Jane asked.

"Pompous, irritating warmongers that inhabit the planet of Hala, well outside the Nine," he said. "That is irrelevant. I wish to know how Kree technology came upon Midgard and, specifically, to me."

"I do not know," Shuri said.

"You are a terrible liar," Loki said. He raised one eyebrow and stared at her.

"_Mimi si mwongo, bwana,"_ Shuri said….she may only be leaving out part of the truth. She _had _promised Baba she wouldn't tell.

Loki grit his teeth and pulled a series of drawings out of a notebook.

"I need this fixed but I have not the time to do it myself. Here are all the specifications on how it can be done using Midgardian materials. Would you care to take it apart and put it back together in my stead?"

Shuri could not suppress her squeak of delight. She turned to see Jane already flipping through the drawings.

"Wow! Yes!" Jane said. "We would love to!"

"No, Jane," Loki said with a stern glare as if a father reprimanding an erring child. "You have enough to take your attention. _This_ is for the princess."

Jane shot him a look of such betrayal that Shuri laughed out loud. Loki turned away from Jane and winked at Shuri. Alien technology-no force on Earth would prevent Jane from taking apart the entire transmitter and putting it back together again. A fact Shuri felt convinced Loki knew and was counting on.

"I am honored to take on this task and I will do my best to keep Dr. Foster focused on _her _task," Shuri said. Jane's look of betrayal now fell on her.

"Alert me as soon as you assemble all the specified components and I will attend to the tests myself," Loki said. "Even if I am away, do not push that button until I return."

"Why not?" Jane asked. She brushed her finger over the round button he specified.

"I dare not say," he said. "Or you will not be able to restrain yourself."

Jane stared at the button even longer now until she saw Loki turning to leave. "Oh, come on! You can't just say things like that and then leave. What will it do?"

Loki gave Jane the widest grin Shuri had yet seen from him and left without another word.

oooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's notes: _

_Your reviews keep me writing and inspire me to keep going. Thanks for them and keep them coming!_

_This version of Wakanda is built on the Bunyoro and Buganda kingdoms of Uganda, pre-Derg Ethiopia, and a bit of Meiji Japan and modern-day North Korea for good measure._ _Since I already stuck Wakanda in Bunyoro, I figured I'd borrow from their history…and rewrite a bit of it. This is a super condensed version of their history that I hope to expand on more and develop further in future. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas! _

_Translations:_

_Hodi: can I enter?_

_Lesso: colorful and very useful piece of cloth._

_Karibuni: welcome_

_haraka haraka, haina Baraka: Roughly-to be in a hurry will make you miss blessings._

_umekuja hapa kwanini: You have come here why?_

_Mgeni/wageni: visitor/stranger/outsider (singular/plural)_

_Si Mkanda. Mimi ni Kikuyu. Natoka Kenya: I am not a Wakandan. I am a Kikuyu. I am from Kenya._

_Sawa: ok_

_Indio: yes_

_Siri: secrecy, hidden, mystery_

_Unyenyekevu: humility, modesty, to be lowered._

_Ushirikiano: unity, cohesiveness, togetherness._

_Ni kweli: it's true_

_Baba: father_

_Mimi si mwongo, bwana: I am not a liar, sir._


	22. Chapter 22: The Tests

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 22: The Tests**

* * *

Shuri looked up from her half-assembled Panther mask when Jane entered the lab. Shuri took in the dark circles under her eyes, her mussed hair, and the extra large cup of coffee she carried and bit back a chuckle. She placed her screwdriver down and carefully placed her extra screws in a small dish so she wouldn't lose them (again).

"How many hours did you sleep last night?" Shuri asked.

Jane responded with a grunt and sank down onto a stool. She held her cup to her chest as if it were a life preserver instead of a beverage. She stared down into the steam and inhaled deeply with her eyes closed.

Shuri picked up her screwdriver again, readjusted her goggles, and focused her attention back on the mask. She checked the time on her computer. Thirty minutes. It would be another thirty minutes before Jane would be cogent enough to respond with words instead of incoherent mumbles.

After three months of nearly constant interaction, they were well-used to each other's habits and idiosyncrasies now. Shuri hated it when Jane touched her tools without asking and Jane could not manage social interactions within a half hour of waking up. Shuri preferred complete silence when she worked, and Jane talked to herself nearly constantly. Overall, she couldn't complain. Jane proved to be the best lab partner she had ever had (and Jane liked her lab), so they both adjusted and worked around each other's preferences and weaknesses and habits.

Shuri grew so engrossed with her work that she nearly forgot to watch the time. She didn't need to. As if prompted by an alarm, exactly thirty-two minutes later, Jane's eyes left her now empty cup of coffee and sought out Shuri. She gave a long yawn, stretched, and fumbled with her knapsack. She placed the Kree transponder on the table with a slight _bang_ and gave a dramatic groan.

"Ugh! Shuri, I've gone over Loki's schematics at least a dozen times and I've picked this thing apart in every way I can. I just can't figure it out," Jane said in exasperation.

"Dr. Foster, are you referring to the device you were expressly forbidden from tampering with?" Shuri asked. Shuri forcibly maintained her composure and gave what she hoped was a very serious and empathetic expression (though she suspected it looked more like she bit into a raw mango).

"Shut it, Shuri. You left it out for me on purpose. Don't pretend to be innocent in this," Jane said. "You knew I wouldn't be able to resist."

"I have _no_ idea what you mean," Shuri said, giving Jane a wide-eyed and full-dimpled smile. "Why would _I_ do such a thing?"

"Just to exasperate me."

"_Mimi?_ I would never! Tell me, _daktari_, what is troubling you so much?"

"You know exactly what. I _need_ to know what that button does. Why is it so dangerous? I can't figure it out and it's driving me crazy!" Jane said. She pulled out some of Loki's drawings and spread them out on the table in front of her. She rubbed at her temples with her hands and stared in front of her with slightly glazed eyes.

"_Umelala_? Did you sleep at all?" Shuri asked.

"No! Every time I tried, I kept running over the schematics again in my head and thinking about how important that button must be and then I got up again."

"Keep at it, _daktari_. I'm sure with a few more nights working on it, you will figure it out," Shuri said.

The look of exasperation that crossed Jane's face proved Shuri's undoing and she could contain herself no longer. She laughed so hard she snorted and leaned against the countertop to keep from falling over.

"What aren't you telling me?" Jane asked, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.

"_Hakuna, daktari._"

"Come on," Jane pleaded again.

"I am disappointed. I had high hopes you were stronger than this," Shuri said, letting go of all pretenses. "I now owe Prince Loki a full day of computer hacking into government databases at his direction."

"You…made….a….bet," Jane said, her eyes narrowing even further as she emphasized each word.

"_Indio._"

"You…made…a…bet," Jane said again.

"He bet you would not sleep at all and I bet you would get at least an hour," Shuri said. "He proved to anticipate your reaction a little better than me."

She stared at the schematics again and then her head shot up as pieces clicked together in her brain. "It isn't dangerous, is it? He said that on purpose just to mess with me."

"Of course."

"You already know what that button does, don't you?" Jane said, her voice now flat.

Shuri descended into giggles and covered her mouth with her hand. "_Yake kwa sauti_," she managed to squeak out in between breaths.

Jane groaned and lay her head back on the table. "What did you just say?"

"_Pole, daktari, siwezi kutafsiri," _Shuri said with another grin. "If I tell you what the button means, I will lose our second wager."

"I hate you….and if I had slept I might have a really apt insult for both you and your accomplice."

"Go to sleep, Jane," Shuri said. "Come back and insult me properly when you can think again."

For a moment, Shuri thought Jane was going to let her stubbornness win out and stay to work. Then her shoulders slumped and she rose with an air of resignation. She stumbled towards the door when she suddenly stopped and turned around, eyes wide.

"It was him!" she said. "That whole time, he was there playing tricks on me! The birds…the shoes…the toaster…the ice…the delivery truck driver…that was all him! Oh my stars! Seriously, who does that?"

"Loki, known to the early Germanic peoples of northern Europe as their 'God of Mischief'," Shuri replied, as if a narrator on a documentary. All the while, she wished Jane were awake enough to explain what occured with her toaster.

"Not helpful. This is unsettlingly creepy," Jane said.

Shuri shrugged and bit back her reply. She could understand Loki's perspective, maybe a bit. She thought back to the semester she spent studying in Paris. It was so cold and everything was so covered in cobblestones and so very French. When T'Challa told her of an acquaintance of his staying on the outskirts of the city, she sought him out immediately. He knew enough of T'Challa to make her feel somehow connected to home, a little less alone, a little less homesick.

And really, flustering Jane proved almost as entertaining as embarrassing T'Challa. It was too too easy. If she were in Loki's position, stalking Jane to play tricks on her did sound like a better way to spend his time than leading alien invasions across Earth.

"Stop thinking, Jane," Shuri said, when she noticed her friend still had not moved. "_Tutaonana baadaye_."

"Yeah. Good idea," Jane said with another yawn. "I'm gonna figure it out, you know."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Shuri said. She hoped Jane would figure it out soon. She planned to win their bet this time.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

In between visits to the medical center, lessons from Dr. Njeri, and quick trips to Moscow, Johannesburg, and Mexico City, Loki struggled to make time to spend in the lab. Jane's work progressed, but it still required materials that he doubted he could obtain on Midgard before the bifrost could be fully operational. Her theoretical application far outweighed her practical application and it would take time before that gap could be bridged.

Shuri called him to the lab early the next morning. In the bright lights of the white and silver room, she lay the transmitter onto a table and gave him a wide grin. Large goggles over her face made her small face appear even smaller and more childlike.

"It's ready," she said. "At least I think it is."

"You have my thanks, princess," Loki responded. He turned the black box over in his hand and pushed one of the control buttons. The entire front panel lit up in different colors and a light beeping sound emanated from within.

"_Uko tayari?_ Are you ready to test it?" Shuri said. She stared at the panel over his shoulder and did not bother to hide her excitement.

"I dare not test it within Wakanda," he said. He still felt unsettled over the mysterious origins of the transmitter. It could be a trap or a way of his enemies discovering his whereabouts. He would test it during his next visit to New York. An area such as that could hardly receive additional damage. It would take time to calibrate the device in tandem with his magic to see if he could reach his desired destination. Infinity Gems were not spoken of lightly or across open lines of communication…especially when such Gems were sought by the Mad Titan. He would need to plan this carefully.

"Why not?" Shuri asked, her calculating gaze fixed on him. "After all we've put into it, we need to see it work! Or is this another one of your schemes to disturb Jane?"

"Not this time," he said with a slight smirk. He grew serious again before he continued. "I do not wish to test it within Wakanda for three reasons: First, I do not know how your shielding mechanism will interact with the signal from the transmitter. Secondly, I do not wish anyone I speak with on the other side to be able to trace my whereabouts to Wakanda. Thirdly, it may require magic to extend its reach beyond the Nine and I am still bound within your borders."

"Aye, _bwana._ Those reasons I can accept, but I would not tell Jane about the test, if I were you. If you do, you will find she will follow you as closely as Goose to wherever you go to."

"Hmmm, would you care to place another wager on that?" he asked with a mischievous grin and a sideways glance.

"What do you have in mind?"

oooooooooooooo

After he returned from Moscow, Jane trapped him as he walked down the hallway towards his chambers. He felt ill-disposed to be social or patient after a full day pretending to be Thor, dealing with inept civil servants, and a particularly grueling United Nations meeting. He could have managed a friendly visit about his travels or a discussion of the ethnobotany on Alfheim or a discussion on the best way to magically induce sleep on particularly long-winded politicians, but in character with Jane, she came to scold him again. He closed his eyes and braced himself for whatever list of ills or character flaws she would bring before him this time.

Her small footsteps neared him and he forced himself to pull up to his true height and meet her gaze.

"Where have you been? You disappear for days," Jane demanded. Loki, not liking the tone she used with him, refused to answer and simply raised one eyebrow in response.

"Don't give me that look. Come on, I need to know."

"Tell me, Dr. Foster, how many days did it take for you to push the button I informed you was dangerous?" he asked.

Jane's eyes flashed and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You! I can't believe you! It was the volume button. What's so dangerous about that?"

"Yet, if it had been the spark to detonate an explosive device, you still would insist on pressing it, simply to see what it does," he said with casual nonchalance.

"I would not…ok…maybe I would. That's besides the point. You are deflecting. You left for days this week. Then you disappear. Almost every Sunday. Shuri said you go to New York to the bomb sight. Why?"

"Shuri said…," Loki repeated with a hint of anger in his voice and Jane suddenly wished she had kept that piece of information to herself. "How, pray tell, does Princess Shuri come across such information?"

"I dunno," Jane said with a shrug. "She's Shuri. She pretty much knows everything."

"Including my whereabouts when I wish them unknown."

"I guess. Come on, why do you go there?"

"There are some things I wish not to speak of."

"It must not be too sinister cause it's not like you can destroy an area that's already bombed."

"Really, Lady Jane? Do you think I have little else to occupy myself with other than the continued conquest of Midgard?"

"Seems your style. You know-like Pinky and the Brain-'What shall we do today? I know! Take over the world!' You seem like the Brain type."

"You failed in coherency after your first utterance."

"Can I come next time?" she said.

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"First of all, because your curiosity will be the death of you. Secondly, because I do not wish for your company. Thirdly, because you are incapable of following even the most basic of instructions."

Jane gave him an offended look and her cheeks grew red with her frustration. Then she stared at the floor for a moment and glanced back at him.

"No, Dr. Foster. Whatever question you are about to ask, the answer is no," Loki said with a stern face.

"You don't even know what I am going to ask!" She said with a huff.

"It is irrelevant. The answer is still no. I bid you good-day, Lady Jane," he said with a slight nod of his head. He retreated to his chambers before she could follow after him with another question.

Oooooooooo

It took nineteen and a half hours to send the signal. While Shuri had masterfully repaired the Kree device, the distance he required the device to operate across proved exponentially greater than what the device was initially created for. The welcomed exertion of his magic quickly became a grueling exercise in longevity as the hours stretched on. The late night barrage of frigid wind and snow flurries did not improve his mood.

He waited another twenty hours to see if he would receive a response to his coded message. When no response came, he decided he had tarried too long and it was time to take his leave.

It was now Sunday. Sundays were for him to do as he pleased. While he had visited New York, he had not visited Mrs. Johnson in a few weeks. He would see Mrs. Johnson.

He found her wearing a long-sleeved orange sweater and up to her elbows in dirt. Safe within the greenhouse, encased in magic and warmth, her flowers flourished. The air around her was saturated with the scent of roses, orchids, and freesia. She lifted up a pot of lilies as he entered and waved at him with her shovel.

"Lucas! There you are! I was beginning to wonder! Come over here and take a seat. I have another plant for you today," she said, cheerful effervescence emanating from her in waves.

He sat on the lush cushions of the new wicker rocker and took hold of the potted plant she handed him. Soon his lap was filled with a plate of cold churros, which he quickly warmed, and Mrs. Johnson's mobile phone displaying the latest photographs of her new children.

Nearly two hours passed when Mrs. Johnson's attention was called away from Loki's story to two figures standing outside the greenhouse waving at her.

"Who is this?" Mrs. Johnson asked. "Are these friends of yours?"

Loki groaned. Before he could answer, Mrs. Johnson opened the greenhouse door and welcomed in Shuri and Jane. Goose lay comfortably nestled against the chest of Jane's down jacket and held close in her arms.

"Hey!" Jane said. "We saw you here and thought we'd come say, 'hi!'"

Loki stared at them in an expression of surprise mixed with simmering anger (which he quickly masked).

"Hi, I'm Jane," she said. She let Goose down from her arms and stuck out her hand in that strange Midgardian introduction (which Shuri had assured him was not shared across all Midgard, but only certain regions).

"I'm Shuri," came the princess's similarly followed introduction.

"We are friends of Lo…" Jane began but was cut off by Loki's interjection.

"_Mine_, they are friends of mine," he said with what he hoped would be a meaningful glance to Jane.

"Well, any friend of Lucas is a friend of mine!" Mrs. Johnson said with her glowing, welcoming smile. "I'm Sandra Johnson. Come on in and escape the cold! Here, I'm afraid I only have three good seats in here. Let me pull up another from outside."

"You cheated. This does not count," Loki whispered to Shuri in a voice so low the others could not hear.

"You did not specify in our terms," she replied and winked. "I believe I have won." She turned to take her seat beside him and ignored his glare. She pulled off the top layers of clothes and set them on her lap and scanned her eyes around the many displays of flowers.

"What a lovely garden you have here," Jane said. "It's so vibrant!"

"Isn't it?" Mrs. Johnson beamed as she pulled over the slightly crooked stool and sat on it. "This would be nothing but bare winterized earth if it wasn't for Lucas here. It's been the coldest March I can remember, but here we are, surrounded by flowers. He built me this greenhouse himself and helped me plant half the plants."

"Did he now? I didn't know you had a green thumb," Jane said, giving Loki a curious stare. Goose jumped from her lap and wandered through the foliage, happily chewing on leaves and peeking into empty flower pots.

Loki stared at Jane and then at his thumb. He did not understand why she thought his thumb was green. He sighed. His day was not improving.

"Tell me about you two ladies-how do you all know each other?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

"Work colleagues," Loki interjected before they could answer. "We've worked together on that research project I've been spending so much time on."

"How nice! I love hearing about Lucas' work," Mrs. Johnson said. "Now I have faces and names to go with his stories."

"I am most curious what brings you both to this side of town?" Loki asked the uninvited guests. "You shouldn't be anywhere close to here today."

"Ah, yes," Shuri said with a wink to Jane. "We decided to visit New York today and while we were here, we came across your cat. We followed your cat and it led us here."

Loki cursed under his breath as the pieces clicked together in his head. He feigned a smile again so as to not give Mrs. Johnson the wrong impression. He would find some way to lock Goose in a dimensional pocket or a vibranium cage or some elvish animal trap in order to stop the insufferable creature from trailing him further.

"It is a happy surprise that we come upon you today, Mrs. Johnson," Shuri said. "Tell me, how do you know our friend, Lucas, here?"

"Ah yes, he's been such a dear to me ever since, well, just after the, you know," she said and gestured to the skeletal buildings surrounding them. "This is where I lived before and, well, to make a long story short, we crossed paths one day. We found we both have lost people we loved and have needed to make new families. So, we have Sunday dinners here a few times a month. A few months ago, he joined our family for the holidays. I, uh," and here Mrs. Johnson's eyes welled up with tears. "To be honest, he's been a light spot in a lot of dark days for me. These Sunday dinners and our time in the garden have gotten me out of bed more times than I can count. So, here we are now, learning to bloom where we are planted and make the best of whatever circumstances."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Shuri said quietly.

Mrs. Johnson gave her a light smile and placed her hand on Shuri's arm. "Me too," she said. "Me too. Now, just before you two ladies came, Lucas here was telling me a rousing story about a hunting trip he went on with his brother and father as a child. Continue on, dearie, I haven't laughed that hard since your stories on Christmas."

Loki's eyes glistened with a spark neither of his companions had ever seen. He kissed Mrs. Johnson's hand and dove back into his story. Soon, all three women were in stitches, laughing so hard that tears filled their eyes.

"It is time for me to go," Loki said as the afternoon began to wane and a bitterly cold wind whipped around outside the greenhouse.

"Take some roses for your brother," Mrs. Johnson said and picked up her clippers. "Your mother would wish it and we have so many this week. Come, ladies. You _must_ see these roses. They came from his mother's garden and I've never seen such beautiful roses!"

Mrs. Johnson gave each of the women a perfect Asgardian rose, a warm hug and a wish to see them again soon. Then she gave Loki a kiss on the cheek.

"You, dearie, smile more. I can tell you are not smiling enough and you need to get out more. Come back again soon," she said. "Next time, I'll bring all the children and we can celebrate the miraculous way our little family has grown!"

"I would be delighted, Mrs. Johnson," Loki said with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "Send José my greetings until then."

"I will. He will be so disappointed he missed you."

Loki, Jane, and Shuri left Mrs. Johnson's house and walked through the grey, icy streets of the broken city. As they walked around another corner, they heard the tell-tale jingle of Goose's bell and the flerkin joined them, trailing a few steps behind them in the snow.

Jane broke the muffled quiet of their footsteps with an accusing glare and a shout at Loki.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

"Was what?" Loki replied.

"_That_," Jane said, waving her mittened hand in the air. "Why her? What are you trying to pull on her?"

Loki raised one eyebrow and quickened his steps so Jane had to run to keep up. She pulled her scarf closer around her neck in a fruitless effort to keep out the cold. Shuri increased her pace in order to take Jane's arm in her own and pull her back slightly.

"Jane, shhh," she whispered, though Loki could still hear.

"No! I want answers."

"It is not the time or place," Shuri said, lowering her voice even more.

"It's never the time or place. He avoids telling me the truth like it was a disease."

"No, Jane. He tells you the truth, he simply doesn't use his words to do it."

"You are not making any sense," Jane said with an exasperated huff. She acquiesced to Shuri's command to keep her tongue and the two women fell into step together behind the Asgardian prince.

The four companions completed their walk without further attempts at conversation. The blanket of snow only made the sound of silence more deafening. As they walked block-by-block, the buildings seemed to shrink in size until they nearly evaporated into the flattened earth below. There, powdered with snow, grew a mound the size of a small house made entirely of pictures, signs, cards, gifts, and flowers. Some grew out of the snow while others lay on top, freshly placed that day by mourners.

Loki walked up to it and placed an armful of roses nearby what Jane and Shuri could see was a line of similar bouquets. Row after row of roses in different stages of decay peeked through the snow. Loki stood in silence for five minutes, ignoring all around him, before he turned to walk past the women. Then, he vanished.

"Did he just disappear?" Jane asked, turning around in a circle looking for him.

"_Ndio."_

"How did he do that?"

"Sijui-I think it is one of the sides of Loki we miss when his magic is bound."

"I can't say I'm all that sad about that," Jane said. "I mean, if he can sneak up on us without magic, imagine all the heart attacks he could give us with this vanishing act business."

"Hmmm, good point. Still, I will look forward to studying him in my lab. That does not sound quite the way I mean it to. I think you see my meaning."

"Yeah, I got it. But Shuri, I don't think there's much you don't want to study in your lab."

"Not true. I do not wish to study cockroaches. Those will make me scream like a rabbit when I find them under the sink."

"Can't say that I blame you for that."

Jane and Shuri's banter ceased as they continued to walk through ground zero. The rows of memorials stretched on in endless trails around them. They paused to read names and look at pictures until tears trailed down both of their cheeks.

"It was really terrible," Jane finally said. "All this."

"It was a tragedy," Shuri said. "The shockwaves will be felt for generations."

They returned to the point they started from and stared at the line of dried roses.

"He comes here nearly every Sunday," Shuri said in a whisper. "I think he's come here every Sunday for a very long time."

"You think he regrets it?"

"I think he loved his brother very much."

"But he, ugh, I just don't understand him."

"I do not know if he even understands himself," Shuri said with a pensive glance towards where the city began to grow again. "I have been developing a theory about this for some time now. Some people are like avocados. They have a very thin skin and it is easy to tell what they have on the inside. Some are soft and some are hard, but they let everyone see what is there.

"Other people, they are a bit more like coconuts. They protect themselves with a thick hard shell and very few people ever get into the center to see what's there. Is it soft or hard? Sweet or milky? Few will ever find out, but once you are in, you are in.

"Prince Loki, I suspect, does not let very many people see what is within his coconut shell. Today, we have seen another side of Loki that we had not seen before. We trespassed into a space I think he keeps very sacred and we need to be careful with what we have seen."

"What have we seen today? Him pretending to be someone he is not and deceiving a sweet woman that is grieving? I have seen quite enough of that side of Loki," Jane said. She kicked her shoe into the snow and made a trail of dirt in the white powder.

Shuri sighed. "Jane, you are right to be angry about many things. But now, you are too too literal. Have you never learned to read between the lines and see the truths that are lived out through actions instead of through words? He uses his words as a mask to protect what is underneath. If he can place the worst parts of himself on display first, he can sift through those who will reject him before he is invested. Like poking a snake with a stick, he wants to see if we will snap at him. When he pokes you, your first instinct is to lunge and sink in your teeth."

"But he…"Jane began. She stopped when Shuri placed her hand over her mouth.

"No, Jane…" Shuri began, then she stopped and looked around them. They were the only living beings within sight. It was growing close to twilight and Shuri shivered. "Let us continue this conversation some other time. I do not want to find out what this deserted city will look like after dark."

Jane nodded her head. They took each other's arms and began to walk back to where they left the camouflaged jet. Yet Shuri kept pausing to look over her shoulder.

"Jane," she whispered. "I do not like this. I feel as though we are being watched. I cannot see anyone, but I think we should walk a little faster."

Jane's eyes grew wide and she sped up to match Shuri's pace. They neared to the clearing where they landed the jet when they heard the cocking of a gun.

"If you wish to live, you will not move," came a deep voice.

They stopped and found themselves staring into the barrels of three guns held by three black-clad, masked figures with eyes glowing an unnaturally bright shade of blue.

ooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Translations:_

_Daktari: doctor_

_Mimi: me_

_Hakuna: nothing_

_Umelala: have you slept?_

_Yake kwa sauti: It's for the volume/sound._

_"Pole, daktari, siwezi kutafsiri: sorry doctor, I am unable to translate._

_Tutaonana baadaye: see you later_

_Uko tayari: are you ready?_

_Bwana: sir_

indio: yes

sijui: I don't know.


	23. Chapter 23: Exposure

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Exposed**

* * *

Loki remained at the memorial sight cloaked in invisibility till long after Jane and Shuri disappeared from sight. He did not wish for his quiet to be interrupted, but he could not avoid it as long as the two women remained, unaware of his lingering, unseeing form among them. Their presence and their words dug under his skin as a tick burrows into the flesh of its victim. He could neither remove them nor ignore them. Jane's cutting judgments and Shuri's apt truths stung and he no more wished for their observation than he wished to stand before all Midgard unrobed and bare. Upon their departure, he could finally relax and crawl into the solace of his own mind.

He would not return to Wakanda for at least a month, he decided. Perhaps longer. Director Fury required another visit. It was time he toured each continent in turn, ensured the obedience of his allies, and oversaw rebuilding efforts so they continued unhindered. The more he considered it, the more he determined to stay away from Wakanda for a few months. He tired of the place and its people. He tired of fighting to be Loki when he could so easily accomplish all he desired as Thor. He preferred to remain alone, unseen, and with his true identity hidden from the eyes of all Midgard.

A sound of a bell called his attention away from his musings and to the orange flerkin. Goose, completely unaffected by his invisibility spell, sprinted directly for where he sat and gave a loud hiss.

"Treacherous beast! You revealed my location to the mortals against my wishes. Be gone," Loki said with a scowl. He pushed at the flerkin's abdomen to send it away. He expected to receive an obstinate purr followed by a warm furry head pushed into his hand. Instead, Goose lunged with an angry hiss. The powerful claws of the flerkin sliced easily through the thick leather of his pants and deep into his leg. Loki gave a cry of surprise and jumped to his feet before Goose could manage a second swipe with its claws. Goose hissed and pushed at his leg with its head.

"How dare you attack me! I should flay the skin from your miserable body for such an offense," Loki said. Goose cocked its head, narrowed its eyes, and hissed again.

"What do you wish for, beast?" Loki asked. He rubbed at the stinging wound on his leg and allowed his magic to heal the shallow cut. The flerkin gave Loki an imperious glare, turned its back to Loki, walked a few dainty steps, and paused to glare at him again. It cocked its orange head to one side, meowed, and took a few more steps. Then it stopped and stared at Loki as if he were communicating something that Loki should clearly be able to understand.

"You wish me to follow?" Loki asked. He took a few steps towards the flerkin. Goose meowed and walked ahead. It turned and, when it saw Loki following, it picked up its pace and ran so quickly that Loki could barely keep pace. Goose slowed its movements a few blocks away from Mrs. Johnson's greenhouse. It hid behind a broken wall just as Loki could hear voices. Loki joined Goose behind the wall, but Goose slipped past him and disappeared into the streets behind him.

Loki's attention was drawn by the familiarity of the voices he could hear. He knew those voices, but he could not immediately remember who they belonged to.

"They are tied together," said a male voice. "Keep your weapons aimed at their heads until the target returns."

"The temperature is dropping pretty fast. Should we place them in the jet?" said a female voice.

"No. They are bait. It doesn't matter if they live or die as long as we get our target."

"We are not here with Prince Loki. He will not come for us," came a third voice. Shuri's voice.

Loki's heart beat out of his chest at the sound. He cloaked himself in invisibility again and peered into the snowy clearing where he saw what he least desired to see. Jane and Shuri stood bound together and at the point of three Midgardian weapons. Surrounding them were his four allies, his personal army of Winter Soldiers. Unbidden by him and yet they still stared over their captives with the unnaturally blue gaze of those under the mind spell.

It was not possible for them to remain under the control of the scepter and perform tasks he neither wished nor commanded them to accomplish. Something must be corrupting the mind spell. Perhaps the mind spell of their former masters gained strength during the long interludes between physical meetings with Loki.

He drew the scepter out of his storage and silently stalked towards the soldier guarding the perimeter of the clearing. He brought it to the soldier's chest and let the magic flow through the scepter. He struggled to maintain the invisibility spell around the powerful glow of the Mind Stone, but it held. He whispered a command under his breath but, instead of obeying, the soldier's eyes grew a wicked flare and a fist thrust out to grab the scepter. Loki barely managed to twist away fast enough to avoid contact. He fell to the ground and scrambled to his feet a few paces away from the boots of the Winter Soldier.

The soldier turned in a circle and opened his mouth into an expression Loki recognized. It was a sadistic grin he had only seen on one other-and it did not belong on the face of the soldier.

"Asgardian," he hissed. The voice, while belonging to the soldier, took on an other-worldly cadence that dripped with dominance and bred despair. "You cannot hide from us, princeling."

Loki pulled himself from his momentary terror and gave a quick surveillance of the situation. Four genetically enhanced, brainwashed, and military trained mortals guarded two bound mortals. While he did not doubt he could remove the four soldiers himself, he did doubt his ability to do so without endangering Shuri and Jane. Upon contemplation of the situation, he found he preferred his mortal pets to remain uninjured, but to maintain them so, he would need to tread carefully. He needed to keep the soldier talking.

Loki cast a double of himself wearing his full armor into the center of the clearing, scepter directed toward the soldier. The soldier's eyes glowed with a furious blue rage and his teeth glistened in the moonlight reflected off the snow. The other three soldiers kept their weapons on their prey, but turned their attention to his double with dispassionate stares.

"For what purpose do you seek the King of Midgard?" he asked.

Their spokesman gave a rasping laugh and bowed in a mock show of respect.

"The king? All bow before the king of Earth! The self-declared protector of the human insects! You failed, Asgardian. As you have always failed, and now all of Earth will pay the price for your sentimental desire to preserve their pitiful existence."

"Failed? Have you not heard? I am the sole ruler of this realm. I have proven myself the victor and accomplished what none of my predecessors have accomplished-the unification of all Midgard."

"You know of what we speak. You had your war, Asgardian. You failed. You kept the Tesseract from us. Now there is no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where_ he_ can't find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain," the soldier said, his voice falling ever deeper into the gritty cadence of the Other, his face twisting into a cruel grimace.

The soldier paced around the clearing, his boots forming muddy pathways through the snow. He motioned with his hands toward the two bound women and the weapons moved closer to their heads.

"All hail the would-be savior of Asgard! Tell us, who cast you from the bifrost and into the void?" the soldier said as he motioned towards his audience with all the flourish of a royal herald. "All hail the would-be savior of Midgard! Tell us, who chose to kill their own citizens in droves rather than accept your protection?

"The realms you pledged your life to protect would rather burn than accept you as their benefactor, oh mighty king.

"Who are you? The bastard runt of a Jotun king, destined for death even at your birth. The despised second prince, the disgraced king, the hated son. You are a tool. You are only worth preserving as long as you are being used and you have long since ceased to be useful to anyone except for _him._

"You were given a glorious purpose. You who were rejected, cast out, disgraced. You were given a place to belong, a chance to fulfill your true destiny, to know true power. Instead, you chose to play the martyr.

"You thought you could wield the scepter-who gave it into your hands? You thought you were strong enough to go against his commands? The scepter obeys the voice of Thanos alone, as you should have done.

"But you have failed. You have failed to end your life and you have failed to preserve it. What realm will take you in now? Which of the other realms would not delight in handing you over to the All-Father to complete the work your birth father failed to complete? And all for what? You have failed at the very task you betrayed your master to accomplish. Instead of protecting Midgard and Asgard, you have ensured their total destruction.

"Instead of allowing half to live, as he originally intended, Thanos will use your own hands to slaughter both planets until their very memories become a curse. You will revel in the screams of those you once called family-until the scepter removes its power and you are left to bask in the memories of the feel of their lifeless bodies upon your hands over and over again until the end of time.

"No, death is too much a balm for one such as you. Your life will be preserved long past its natural ending point. You will watch as one realm after another falls under the power of the Titan and you will revel knowing their ends will be the more painful simply to reward you for your diligent obedience."

Loki had heard quite enough and all was in place. He pulled the Ice Casket from his storage and turned it towards the center of the clearing, blasting all within with the full power of a winter's blizzard. He heard the sound of gunshots at the same time pure ice exploded like a hundred thousand frigid knives through the Winter Soldiers and encased them. He gave a hurried prayer to the All-Ruler that his spell of protection within had maintained its full strength.

As the winds and bitter cold subsided, he inhaled deeply and saw the world around him through the strange eyes he knew were caused by his true parentage. He was exposed now in the blue skin and red eyes of a Jotun monster. He gave a shudder not caused by the cold. Then he plunged the pointed edge of his scepter through each of the frozen Winter Soldiers, releasing a blast of energy that forced each to explode into minuscule shards of irreparable ice.

In the center of the morbid ice sculpture, a warm bubble of magic swirled, safely protecting the delicate mortals from both the blast of the ice casket, the Midgardian weapons, and the shards of ice thrown off by the soldiers' corpses. He sighed in relief as he saw Shuri and Jane unharmed. He placed an illusion of his Aesir form over himself before he released the shield. Then both woman turned to him, whole and hale, though rightly terrified.

"You have my apologies, my ladies," he said with a bow.

Before he could continue, Loki felt an unsettling rush of power pulsing through the scepter held in his hand. It began to glow again, though he did not call it to.

He knew that feeling. He had felt the ravishing effects of the Mind Stone upon his person more times than he ever wished to recollect. He stared in horror at the scepter as he found he could not release it from his hand. He could feel his illusion disintegrate from around him, leaving him bare and exposed. The scepter flashed again and all his senses were filled with a pair of bright, blue eyes that flashed with a mystical fire that spanned galaxies. Loki now stared into the ancient gaze of the Mad Titan himself.

"Foolish child. Why do you fight me? You were made to be ruled. You crave subjugation. In the end, you will always kneel. I am inevitable," came a voice in his mind from a realm farther away than any bifrost could reach. And Loki fell to his knees despite the war he fought against every cell of his body to remain standing. His stomach gave a deathly lurch. The blood pounded in his ears as if a thousand Mjolnirs struck his temples at once and he could not breathe. He fell to the ground and clawed at the snow and hissed and pulled at his throat. It felt like his brain would burst and the thrum of the Mind stone reverberated through his very soul.

He could not breathe. He could not think. He was drowning and his mind was going to explode and he could not fix it. He let out a strangled gasp and looked down to find he was no longer lying on the ground but was walking.

He was walking, unbidden, towards Jane and Shuri. With two conjured knives in his hand. He could not stop. He could not move away. He could not release the knives.

He tried to shout to them, to tell them to run, to hid, to flee, to smite him before he could reach them, but he could not open his mouth. He was a horrified observer, held captive within his own cursed flesh, and he was going to kill Jane and Shuri.

oooooooooo

* * *

Between being taken captive, held at gunpoint, and then rescued by an alien prince through what she assumed was a combination of a magic bubble and a portable freezer, Shuri thought she and Jane handled themselves admirably. She could still hear Jane's short, panicked breaths behind her and Shuri struggled to regain her own senses enough to know what to do next.

As soon as the golden haze around them disintegrated and the cold hit them like a runaway rhinoceros, she could see they remained in the same clearing. However, the clearing was now littered with fragments of ice that resembled broken glass bottles tossed from a moving car. The cold bit into her skin even through her layers of jackets and she knew they needed to get off the ground as soon as they could.

Loki came towards them, giving them a pristine apology and bow before he stopped moving and turned colors like a frightened chameleon. Loki, now all blue skin and glowing blue eyes, looked more inhuman and otherworldly than she had ever seen him to be. He walked towards him with two knives drawn and an eerily delighted grin on his face.

"Children, your deaths are worth more than your lives ever would be," Loki said to them in a voice strangely accented in a way he did not normally use when he spoke. "Nightmares of this moment will taunt the bastard princeling for a millennia to come. His dreams from this time onward will be full of memories of your blood rolling from his hands. You have my thanks for your gracious sacrifice towards fulfilling your glorious purpose," he said with an inelegant bow.

He bent back his arms to aim his knives. Shuri threw all her weight against Jane and knocked them both onto the snow as a knife flew over their heads.

"Loki! What are you doing?" Shuri shouted. "Stop this!"

She struggled to roll herself over, but her bindings to Jane made them both as useless as grounded fish. She clumsily flopped and she gave a panicked cry as she heard boots crunching towards her in the cold snow.

She managed to pull Jane up to their knees and covered her with her own body. As another knife flashed in the moonlight, an orange streak ran across the clearing with a loud caterwaul. Goose stopped in front of Loki and opened its mouth wide. Ten foot tentacles exploded from its mouth and swallowed up the knife before it could land.

One tentacle struck Loki and he fell to the ground. Loki's eyes remained glazed and he convulsed against the pavement. He did not look at them but his mouth twisted into a wicked, evil grin. He rose to his knees and his back bent back at an awkward angle and he stared at the sky, his eyes glowing an even brighter, unnatural blue. A subtle hiss began to emanate from his chest.

"What is happening now?" Jane said.

"_Sijui,"_ Shuri said. "But I do not like it."

Loki reached for his scepter and let out a cackle that sounded like the caw of angry ravens. He pointed it towards the two captives and the stone glowed to match the same shade of bright blue as his eyes.

"Goose," Shuri whispered. "Goose, what do we do?"

Goose hissed and its ears flattened against its head. The flerkin opened its mouth and a burst of tentacles exploded with such force that they knocked Loki back onto the hard, icy pavement with a crash. Shuri and Jane screamed. The spear clattered to the ground a few meters away. Loki twisted around and tried to get up. Before he could rise, a tentacle wrapped around his middle and pounded him head first into a concrete wall. His head met the wall again and again until a navy blue liquid poured out of his nose, ears, mouth, and from gashes on his forehead.

When Loki's body slumped into the limpness of unconsciousness, the flerkin released him. He fell to the ground like a limp noodle and lay in a motionless heap. The tentacles retracted back into the flerkin. Goose sat down on its haunches, bathed its paws with its delicate pink tongue, and gingerly walked up to Loki. It licked his face and began to purr.

"Oh my word. What just happened?" Jane exclaimed. She let out a strangled sob and leaned further into Shuri's back.

"I do not know," Shuri said. She struggled to calm her heart and slow her breathes enough to be able to think again.

"Is he going to be ok?" Jane asked and stared sadly towards the bloodied, motionless body of the prince.

"I do not know," Shuri said. "He does not look so good. And after seeing all that, I do not feel so good."

"Shuri, if you are gonna hurl, please face the other direction."

"No! I thought you would prefer it if I aimed for your shoes!"

Jane let out a strangled noise halfway between a laugh and a cry. "Shuri, how can you make jokes after what just happened?"

"Would you prefer that I cry or panic?"

"Ugh! Fine. What do we do? "

"I think we may need to create an encyclopedia of aliens….we could become the leading world experts. What do you think?" Shuri said. She began to draft the first few chapters in her head before she felt Jane nudge her shoulder again.

"I think we can plan our future careers after we get untied," Jane said.

"_Sawa, sawa_," Shuri answered. Both women fought against their bonds, the ropes digging into their flesh tighter the more they fought.

"This isn't working, Jane. Maybe Goose can help?"

"You really want that thing near you?" Jane hissed.

"That thing just saved our lives….and it has never tried to hurt any of us."

"It just tried to kill Loki."

"Because he was trying to kill us…and it didn't kill him, simply decommissioned him temporarily…I hope."

"Ok. You have a point."

"I know, this will sting a bit to admit, but Prince Loki was correct. That is not a cat," Shuri said.

"Ugh! Don't say that out loud. I don't think we will ever get that smug look off his face if he hears you."

"I would much prefer that 'smug look' to the look he currently has on his face. I hope he will be ok."

"Me too. I am not feeling too well now either."

"Do not go into shock yet. We need to get out of here before anything else happens-and before we freeze. It is too too cold," Shuri said. Then she dropped her voice to call to the flerkin. "Goose, _kuja hapa_. Come here."

Goose looked at both women and twitched its tail and let out a wide, lazy yawn. It stood up and walked around them, dragging its tail across their legs. It batted at the ropes on their legs with its paws and then left. It walked to where the spear lay on the ground. It pawed at the spear with its claws a few times before it bent its head, pushed at it with a loud, scraping sound, and moved it across the icy pavement to where the women stood. Goose looked at them and flicked its ears.

"I don't want to touch that thing," Jane said.

"Maybe it will help," Shuri answered with a shrug.

"Or maybe it will explode."

"Says the scientist who wants to traverse the galaxy."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Maybe," Shuri said. "Goose thinks it will help and I do not think we will see any other help until dawn."

"Fine, fine," Jane answered.

With a bit of uncomfortable maneuvering, they managed to arrange their limbs so that Jane could reach down and pick up the spear. She lifted it and as she did, the bindings around her and Shuri released and fluttered to the ground.

"What the…?" Jane exclaimed.

Shuri grinned at her and massaged at her wrists and ankles. Then she knelt beside where Loki lay unconscious. She listened to his chest for a moment and sought for a pulse.

"Jane. I don't know if he has a heart or a pulse. How do I know if he is ok or not?"

"What? Can't you hear anything?"

"Of course, I can hear something, but I do not know what I am supposed to hear!"

"Where is your scanner?"

"That won't help me identify a problem if I do not know what the absence of a problem looks like. We don't even know if he has tentacles or dimensional pockets in him."

"He doesn't look like an alien cat."

"I beg to differ. Have you seen him when he gets his hands dirty? Oh, thank the ancestors, he is still breathing," Shuri said. "I can feel air coming from his nose. He looks like he is turning colors. Look, he is not so blue anymore."

"He looks grey now. He really looks bad."

"Jane, can you check the jet to make sure no one is inside?" Shuri asked.

"By myself?"

Shuri rolled her eyes. "You have an alien spear of death in your hand. You will be fine."

Jane grumbled under her breath and walked up into the jet. Shuri steeled herself for what she knew she had to do next and pressed her kimoyo beads. It only took a few moments before her father, brother, and Okoye all frowned back at her.

"_Umefanya nini, dada_?" came T'Challa's decidedly angry voice.

"_Uko wapi_?" came her father's, much calmer, but graver voice.

Shuri dropped her eyes. There was no way to explain this in a way that would not lead to a very severe and (possibly well-deserved) punishment.

"Jane and I followed the _mgeni_ and the _paka _to New York."

Okoye groaned. "Princess, you should never leave our borders without informing your parents and myself. We have been searching for you all morning. Why would you travel without the protection of the _Dora Milaje_? Anything could have happened!"

"_Dada,"_ her brother interjected. "You took a jet, placed the jet on invisibility so we could not track you or find you, and left without telling us where you were going or that you were even leaving Wakanda. You knew you were not doing what you ought."

"Fine, fine. You can punish me when we return home. What I called for is not a lecture on what rules I am to follow. You would not have even known I left if my plans had gone as they should have."

"What happened?" her father asked.

"First off, Jane and I are fine now. So is Goose. The _mgeni_ I hope will be fine once he regains consciousness."

"Sister…that is not a promising beginning," T'Challa said and gave her a stern look.

Shuri's following words tumbled out in a rush.

"We might have run into hostile forces who took Jane and I captive and tried to use us as leverage to capture the _mgeni _except the _mgeni _froze them all and made them explode. Then something happened to the _mgeni_ and the _paka_ really isn't a _paka _at all but a giant alien octopus who saved us all."

Three sets of voices warred with their questions and Shuri only hung her head.

"_Poleni sana_," she whispered. "We are safe now, yes? Jane?"

Jane exited the jet and made her way to where the recipients of the transmission could see her. "We are safe," she said.

"_Bwana asifiwe,"_ Okoye said with a rush of relief on her taut face.

"Sister, come home. Now," T'Challa said. "You will need to explain all that to me again, I think."

"We will, we will."

"I am changing all the security codes on every single vehicle once you land that plane," T'Challa said.

Shuri nodded her head. "I promise I will not try to hack them for at least a week."

"_Binti,_ be safe," her father said. "_Rudi nyumbani_."

"_Tunakuja, baba_," she said. She turned off the projection and turned to Jane.

"Brilliant astrophysicist with multiple degrees - how do we get an unconscious alien up the ramp of that jet?"

"I'm hoping he is lighter than he looks?" Jane said with a shrug.

"I would not count on it."

"Don't you have some vibranium hover craft or something?"

"Not on the jet. I left mine at home."

"Of course you would have one of those."

"Of course. I made it when I was eight."

Jane shook her head and smiled.

"Brilliant inventor princess who made a hovercraft when she was eight - how do we get an unconscious alien up the ramp of that jet?" Jane asked.

Shuri shook her head and smiled.

"Do you think Goose could eat him and spit him out in one piece in Wakanda?"

Ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Translations:

Sijui: I don't know

Paka: cat

Mgeni: foreigner, stranger, outsider

Sawa sawa: ok

Uko wapi: where are you?

Umefanya nini: what have you done?

Poleni sana: I'm very sorry.

Dada: sister

Binti: daughter

Rudi nyumbani: come home

Tunakuja: we are coming


	24. Chapter 24: Mind-Control

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 24: Mind-Control**

* * *

One torn up parachute, one inflatable raft, three yards of rope, a bit of duct tape, and two hours later, one tired astrophysicist, one sore princess, one mulish alien cat, and an unconscious alien prince were safely on-board the Wakandan jet.

"I am so hungry I could eat a hippopotamus," Shuri said as she groaned and stretched her muscles. She tapped at the orange and green controls of the jet before her. "Jane, can you find some food in the back?"

"Yeah," Jane answered. Jane got up and balanced herself against the narrow walls of the small jet. She made her way to the back where she rummaged through a cupboard and came back with a bottle of passion juice and some pink packages of biscuits.

"Nothing for you?" Shuri asked, nodding towards the single bottle of juice.

"I don't think I can eat. I'm not feeling too well."

"Jane, you need to eat. You will feel worse if you do not. It's been too too long since we ate last."

Jane reluctantly fetched another bottle of juice and package of biscuits. She grimaced as she nibbled on them. Shuri's were gone by the time Jane swallowed even one sip of juice.

"I think I may need to add 'weight-lifting aliens' to my list of things I do each day," Shuri said with a groan. She stretched out her thin, dark arms to watch her muscles flex in the dim light. "My arms are too too sore now."

"We are lucky this jet even had that parachute in it. You were right. He is heavier than he looks."

"I think it is the dimensional pocket. It adds weight. Perhaps he keeps his own space ship within his belly."

Jane laughed. "He doesn't seem like the space ship type. Maybe he is carrying around a horse instead."

Shuri giggled. She finished off her snack and brushed the crumbs off her red shirt. Jane struggled to finish her first biscuit and she grew distracted, her eyes gazing out the cockpit window into the darkness outside their plane.

"Shuri – why did he turn blue? And why was he so cold?"

"I do not know. Can you check on him? There is a First Aid kit in the top cupboard. It should have gloves and bandages. See what you can do with the largest of his cuts."

"Ok."

Jane returned to the seat beside Shuri nearly an hour later. She gave a loud sigh and lay her head against her hands.

"Your turn," Shuri said. "I am too too tired." The princess rose out of the pilot's seat and motioned for Jane to take it.

"Shuri, I don't know how to drive this thing. I can't even fly an American plane and those ones have controls in English."

"It is on autopilot. Just sit in the seat and if something beeps at you or if you see a mountain or a building or a flying space ship in front of you, poke me and I'll take over," Shuri said. She sat in the passenger's seat nearby and lay her head against the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to hide how her hands were shaking by hiding them beneath her legs. "How is the _mgeni_?"

"Still unconscious. Loki hasn't even twitched a finger. He's looking better though. His skin is taking on his usual hue, his blood has turned red instead of blue, and his wounds look to be healing up a bit. I cleaned up what I could and found a blanket for him. Goose has taken up residence on his stomach and is taking a nap."

Jane stared out the cockpit window over the expanse of the Sahara desert below them. The stars strewn overhead were the only visible lights in the ocean of darkness around them.

"Shuri…," Jane began. She paused. Shuri cracked open one eye to show she was listening and closed it again. "Do you think that guy-the one who was talking-do you think he was telling the truth? How did he know all that?"

"I do not know," Shuri said. "I suspect we need to run some tests on that alien death spear and I need to reevaluate the case of Sergeant Barnes in light of what we have seen today. I also suspect that more than the Winter Soldiers have experienced mind control at some level or another."

"Shuri-the things he said…I don't know how to even process it. This is all a whole lot more complicated than I originally thought…and I have no idea what to think anymore."

"Jane, I am going to speak somehow and I wish you to hear me closely. There is much we need to learn and much we will need the _mgeni_ to tell us. But I think we need to walk very carefully. We heard words spoken today that were never meant for our ears. If it were my brother or my father, they would walk away heavy with shame at having their weaknesses so exposed. For big men like they are, they must show they are strong, even when they are not, and they must appear the prince and king, even when they are only a man.

"The Asgardian prince guards his vulnerability like a lion guards its kill. Even an injured lion may be killed by a hyena. I do not think our _mgeni _would ever admit to not being under full control of his decisions or struggling with grief over his brother or admit to weakness of any kind. If it were by brother or my father, I would not address anything that happened unless they initiate the conversation."

"But we need to know what happened!" Jane argued.

"No, Jane. We know what happened, but we do not understand what happened. If he wishes to explain it, he will. If not, he will not. I will tell my father and my brother a general enough story that they can understand what has happened, while withholding information I feel would shame our _mgeni._ If we guard his honor, allow him to feel he is strong and in control, we will be safe to let down his guard around. He will not fear we will damage his honor if he sees we are protecting it."

Jane rubbed her temples with her hands. "I don't understand," Jane said.

"It is o.k. You can argue with me more later. _Sasa, ninaenda kulala,"_ Shuri said and closed her eyes again.

ooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki woke on a stark white bed in the medical center of Birnin Zana. His entire body pounded in pain. He felt as he did when he woke after his first introduction to the Hulk. He groaned and tried to raise one hand to place it against his head. It barely budged.

A series of green flashing lights and soft beeps sounded around him and Dr. Okapi came into the room. He wore an orange and black lab coat and carried a computerized tablet. The doctor placed rough hands against his forehead and glanced over some of the machines around him.

"Prince Loki, you are awake," he said.

Loki looked at him through one eye and shook his head with a wince.

"You have been unconscious for over 28 hours. You need to rest. You broke multiple bones and suffered extreme head trauma but you are healing at an incredibly fast rate."

Loki nodded…and did not hear another word as he sank back into darkness.

_It was a darkness mottled with bright blue eyes, swirling snow, and the glow of the mind stone. He could not move, he could not escape, he could not cry for help. The eyes of the Titan peered through his soul like he were a fish, separated from his hunter by only a thin sheet of ice, with the scepter pointed towards him as the spear poised to skewer him through. _

When he woke next, he found a tray of food next to him and an orange flerkin curled up on his side, asleep. He managed to prop himself up on his side enough to reach for the tray and he finished off the glass of juice as quickly as he could. His movements jostled Goose who stretched and looked up at him with grey-green eyes and a toothy yawn.

Loki looked back at the flerkin, smiled, and patted Goose on the head.

"Superior creature," he said. "You have earned the highest of honors, little warrior. You have my thanks."

He stroked his hand up and down along Goose's arching back and pulled a piece of stewed meat off his tray to feed to the flerkin. Goose released a resounding purr and daintily swallowed down the peace offering. He knew not whether the flerkin left his side again or stayed with him as he sank back into sleep. Sleep quickly overtook his senses and he knew no more.

Ooooooo

* * *

The next time Loki woke, he found Jane, Shuri, and Goose all huddled around him. Jane and Shuri met him with wide smiles and inquired after him with bright eyes and concerned faces. He managed to sit upright in bed and attempted to project more strength than he truly felt.

"Dr. Okapi said you are healing well," Shuri said. "How are you feeling?"

"Splendid, princess. Never been better," Loki responded with a grimace.

"You look better," Jane said. "Considering you looked like you were at death's door a day and a half ago, I'm impressed you can even sit upright."

"I am sorry to disappoint, Dr. Foster. Seeing my end come at the hands of my own army on the site of my failed battle would have truly been a glorious sight."

"I don't want to see that," Jane said in a whisper. "You may irritate me and exasperate me, but I don't wish to see you dead…and certainly not like that. You really scared us. We didn't know if you were gonna wake up or not. "

"Prince Loki-who attacked us through those soldiers?" Shuri asked, slightly hesitantly.

"Those would be my allies, princess," he responded drily. "Come to send me a message from their master and return me to his care to receive my reward for my diligent efforts."

"Some allies," Jane responded with a _humph._

"Almost as delightful as the Chitauri," he said with a sardonic chuckle. "Though the Chitauri have better manners - and nearly as loyal and obedient as my Asgardian subjects during my short reign. I know not whether I dislike my allies or my enemies more."

As he spoke, memories of their short skirmish in New York flooded back over him and he began to feel nauseous. The words and accusations spoken by the Other through the co-opted mind of one of his Winter Soldiers twisted in his gut like a poisoned knife. Words spoken before Jane and Shuri, who would, undoubtedly, share with the king and prince and however many others of the royal council they deemed necessary. His darkest, most guarded secrets, pried from the hidden recesses of his mind without his permission were now drying in the sun before all Midgard for all to see like the flayed hide of a defeated beast.

Even worse-the dark blue underbelly of his worst secret had been openly revealed for them all to stare at in horror and disgust. Not even he had seen his Jotun face with his own eyes. He was exposed, seen as he truly was - the false prince, the pretend son, the gilded monstrosity, the fallacious hero. He felt as though he needed to claw off his own skin, pierce his own eyes, and purge his own mind of the memories of his blue hands poised to kill Jane and Shuri. The Other and Thanos, in their sadistic glee, had truly chosen an apt punishment to begin his interminable display of future horrors.

Now, all Midgard would suffer for his failings. Asgard would be next. Thanos was coming and neither Asgard nor Midgard was prepared for his wrath.

And now, it was inevitable, even the few allies and the safe refuges he had worked so long for would refuse him and cast him out into the abyss. He could almost hear his own pathetic pleas.

"_I could have done it. For you." _

Then he could just as easily hear T'Chaka echoing the words of the All-Father as the king watched him leave the borders of Wakanda.

"_No, Loki." _

He didn't do it. He did not save Asgard. He did not save Midgard. He did not save the universe or even the Nine. He simply brought death, misery, chaos, and destruction wherever he turned his hand.

He could not bear to hear those two words again – and all the sentiment they carried in their unspoken shadows.

_No, Loki. _

_You do not belong. You are not one of us. You cannot prove yourself worthy. You are made for the abyss. You are fated for the frozen plains of Jotunheim. Your only place is by the side of the Mad Titan, shattered and forged into a tool to be wielded by his hand. _

_Until he, too, would become mad._

_Unless he already was._

He did not wish to hear it again.

"I am very tired," he said to Jane and Shuri. "I wish to sleep."

"Of course," Shuri said. "We will come again tomorrow."

He pretended not to hear her, turned to face the wall, and feigned sleep.

Ooooooooo

* * *

Jane and Shuri sat on stools in Shuri's wing of her lab. Papers, diagrams, charts, and print outs covered the table, the counter, and the walls like a primary school art show and both women were nearly bursting in their excitement to compare notes. Shuri, noting how Jane's leg bounced against the table and the bright gleam in her eyes, motioned for her to go first.

"_Sema_, Jane. What have you found?" she asked.

Jane grinned and pulled up a projected image of Loki's scepter. The image was filled in with various shades of purples, greens, and blues, each color representing a different stream of data.

"I've started running analytics on that glow stick thing of his. It's throwing out power like I've never seen before. And it's, well, it's not like anything I've ever seen. It responds to stimuli, it receives input, and it is almost as if it is, for lack of a better word, sentient. It's like a super computer AI on a stick.

"The SHEILD data you got me said Loki used it as a weapon and it somehow projected potent energy blasts that were enough to kill on impact and cut through walls. The reports also said he used it to basically brainwash and control people…including Erik," Jane said. Here, she began to tear up. "Erik was taken to help build the portal that allowed all those alien monsters entry to New York. He didn't have a choice. He was stolen and then he was killed."

"I'm sorry, Jane," Shuri said. She wrapped her arms around Jane's shoulders. Jane fought to regain her composure and gave Shuri an embarrassed smile. Then she bit her lip and dropped her eyes.

"I want to keep being so mad at Loki and blame him for everything…but I can't anymore. I was so quick to see everything as either black or white, good or evil and I can't justify that anymore. Do you think Loki's mind was controlled by the scepter as well - that whoever or whatever was controlling those Winter Soldiers was also influencing Loki?"

"It is possible," Shuri said. "Let me share what I have learned."

"Go for it," Jane said, her curiosity brightening her eyes again.

"As you know, I went through what we have gathered on Sergeant Barnes and I can only conclude that it is a very similar process to zombification."

"Wait, what?" Jane asked.

"You know, zombification-the process of creating a zombie?"

"That's what I thought you said. I know you said he supposedly died in the 40's, but he, uh, looked pretty alive to me when I saw him," Jane said. She peered more closely at the photographs of the soldier and the various neural imaging scans Shuri projected for her.

"Exactly!" Shuri said. "He looks alive, but he had been declared dead many years ago. But, here he is-very much alive! Now his is mind controlled by some kind of_ bokur _who has stolen his _ti bon ange a_nd made his body a slave."

"I'm really confused," Jane said. "Are we talking about the same thing here? You know, the living dead? Zombies are supposed to look like reanimated corpses who walk around cities trying to eat people."

"No, Jane," Shuri said with a laugh. "I'm not talking about your silly Hollywood zombies. I mean the real ones. You know, the people who have behaved very badly and so are sold to a _bokur_-a Vodoun priest, who make them appear medically dead. Then, once they are buried, they dig them up and give them a substance called _Datura_ to keep them mentally enslaved to their bidding for the rest of their lives."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You are much closer geographically to Haiti than we are in Wakanda. You have not studied Voudon-an Afro-Caribbean belief system?"

"Ummm, no. I study the stars, not indigenous belief systems."

Shuri shrugged. "As I was saying, Sergeant Barnes has undergone a process somehow similar to zombification. While he was declared dead, his body lives. Yet his mind is not his own. He has all the same symptoms as someone under the influence of _Datura-_anticholinergicdelirium, hyperthermia, tachycardia, mydriasis, amnesia, and violent behavior.

"He obviously isn't a reanimated corpse, like what you are referring to, so I would assume this has a biological basis and not spiritual…in the spiritual cases, there are different symptoms and they usually last a shorter period of time."

"Shuri…are you trying to tell me that's a thing?"

"Of course….but that's not my point. As I was saying, in his DNA analysis, I've found traces of some tampering with his very genetic code that seems to account for his enhanced healing, his lack of aging, and his strength. Neural imaging shows evidence of destruction of neurons, possible immunolesioning, disruption of molecular mechanisms, and possible actin depolymerization in the hippocampus, amygdala, and the mammillary bodies of the hypothalamus."

"Shuri, I'm an astrophysicist, not a neurologist."

Shuri rolled her eyes. "Jane, I think you need to expand your field of study to be a little wider. Basically, the parts of his brain that hold memories have been tampered with - physically and chemically. However, his neural imaging under his 'normal' brain is distinct from what the images reveal when he was under the control of Loki's spear. When under control of the spear, his brain and body reacted much more similarly to those of someone under the influence of _Datura _intoxication. Somehow, the waves of energy emitting from the spear act as an anticholinergic agent. It blocks the action of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the central nervous system. The effect of this is similar to that of a deliriant. It enhances certain senses while placing the individual in a more suggestible state. It places them in a state of delirium with increased anxiety, a sense of impending doom, and paranoia. I could go on, but you get the idea.

"Now, here's where it gets interesting. Loki's brain, by the time Dr. Okapi was able to get neural scans completed, showed very similar results to those of Sergeant Barnes as he was recovering from his time under control of his spear. "

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that when Loki tried to attack us with his knives, we have evidence that it is highly likely he was being controlled by an external entity…and it is possible that this was not the first occurrence."

Jane let out a long exhale and stared at the scans again.

"Did his brain look, you know, human?"

"It was, how shall I put it? Denser and more active. The overall biology is basically similar, but more complicated and slightly larger."

"Don't tell him that, please," Jane said.

"I won't. You will be happy to know that as far as we can tell, Prince Loki has no tentacles inside him. There are no space ships or horses either."

"That is good news," Jane said. "I _do_ think you should tell him that. Just so he knows."

Shuri laughed. "I will try to remember that."

"Will they be ok? Both of them?"

"Dr. Okapi thinks we can wake Sergeant Barnes within the next few weeks. The extensive treatments will need to continue for some time. It is not easy to reprogram a brain. The team developing the treatments are still testing some options to see if they work or not, but they are very hopeful."

"And Loki?"

"He is healing at an incredibly fast rate. He'll be ok soon."

"But that spear-it could do that again."

"It could. Jane, in all seriousness, you need to be careful around that thing. We do not know what triggers it and we do not know who is on the other side. I do not want to see what it would do if it grabs ahold of somebody else."

"I'll be careful."

"Good. Now, let's get back to your traversable Einstein-Rosen bridge," Shuri said with a wide grin that mirrored Jane's.

"I would be delighted," Jane said.

A few of the loose papers, they collected. A few of the loose papers, they buried in stacks of more drawings and diagrams and charts. Soon, it was difficult to differentiate between diagrams of neural pathways and diagrams of wormholes. Goose joined them sometime later and found all subject matters equally agreeable to nap upon for the rest of the afternoon.

oooooooo

* * *

Loki's own chambers in the palace had never felt more welcome than they did when he finally felt well enough to return there. He ran his hand along his side table and sank onto his favored arm chair. He drew in the familiar scent of wood and plants and humidity. Goose seemed similarly content and began to bat at a leaf of his canna lily. His body still ached, but it could move of his own volition and, once he could get across the border, he could heal his remaining injuries with his magic.

He laid his head onto his hands and stared out the window into the bright daylight. He could see across the city and into the distant green of the mountains nestled behind Birnin Zana. The shallow blue sky seemed to taunt him with its endless freedom.

Freedom would always be the one great lie. The more he sought freedom, the tighter his bonds grew. Thanos knew his location and could send minions to reach him. Thanos also had ways to manipulate his scepter directly and cast the mind spell upon his person, even from the outermost edges of the Void.

Was it only a few days ago he planned to leave Wakanda for some time? Circumstances were different now. In Wakanda, he would have warning. The shields protected him as surely as they caged him in. If he stayed here, he had the finest army and best technology in all Midgard to protect him.

But he was powerless to defend himself and he was caged. He hated feeling trapped. He could choose to forcibly take control. If he ruled the cage, would it cease to be a prison if it instead were his kingdom?

It would be so easy. A few whispered words here, a few well-placed suspicions there, and Wakanda would implode in on itself. He thrived on the tension, on the potential for chaos: when he was the match and the world his powder keg, when he was the stone that would release the avalanche, when he was the cornerstone that would cause the archway to crumble. He basked in that power.

Perhaps that is how Thor felt when he summoned lightning.

That is how Loki felt when he summoned chaos - intoxicated by the pandemonium around him. He could stand as the one solid object, the one unchanging being in the swirl of chaos, the only one unturbulent force in the face of his created tempest.

Though perhaps that is where he lied to himself. He was the very source of chaos, the very heart of turbulence, and the origin of uncertainty. He simply sowed that same chaos upon all he touched.

Was he ever really in control? Events on Midgard had proved him the fool. Even now, were his thoughts his own or had they been placed in his head by the scepter? Was the Mind Stone even now corrupting his memories and feelings without his knowledge? He did not know.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could hear the Other's voice and he saw his blue hands holding a knife to Jane and Shuri. He could not escape it. Even as he slept, the vision haunted his dreams. The words of the Other rolled through his mind in constant repetition that nearly drove him mad.

It was tempting to try to form a sense of freedom through robbing others of theirs. But then he would find himself in the same place. Unchanged and always changing. Satisfied with dissatisfaction.

And he did not relish ruling. He was not a hero. He was a lackluster king. He thrived on creation and change and newness and felt drained by the mundane, the everyday stuff of kingship.

Thor would have been a better king.

Thor had always been the better man.

But Thor was not here.

The Wakandan prince and so-called Black Panther reminded Loki too much of Thor. The symbol and protector of the kingdom, the heir, the favored son of the Golden Tribe. Despite the differences in personality and manner, the roles they filled and the adoration they garnered echoed disconcertingly close to a very raw place that Loki preferred not to dwell on.

So he avoided the prince as much as he could.

Loki looked out his window onto the glittering lights where night had fallen upon Birnin Zana. The streets now resembled glowing rivers of fireflies against the dark patches of light-less earth. Their infrastructure remained intact. Their king ruled in peace and order. Their rules and history were still remembered. Their prince waited his turn to reign.

No. He needed Wakanda to remain as they were. They required no intervention. They faced no imminent doom and destruction. They were not on the verge of civil war or starvation. He dealt with those problems enough with the rest of Midgard. Maybe, at another time, he would have enjoyed stirring the bees' nest and seeing Wakanda fall.

But not now. He was tired. Too too tired. He wished for nothing but sleep.

Ooooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki woke to a knock on a door and Shuri's voice calling to him. His body felt stiff with sleep, though his mind still felt weary. His dreams had been dark and he felt the weight of their echoes upon his mind. He quickly pulled some clothes on and bid her enter.

She came carrying a tray of food. She placed it on a table. Her keen brown eyes analyzed his person from head to toe and she motioned with her head towards the tray.

"_Kula_," she said. "You need to eat."

"Princess," he said in a gruff, unused voice. "Since when did the royal family of Wakanda turn their hand to serving food?"

"Asgardian princes do not serve their guests? You know little of hospitality there," she said with a dimpled smile. She knelt on the floor beside a chair and rested her chin against the chair to watch him.

Loki shook his head and sat. At the smell of eggs and mandazi, he realized he was famished. He picked up his plate and began to eat.

"You were gone," Shuri said. "We came to see you but Dr. Okapi said you left. For two days you have not left your room. We were worried."

_Had it been so long?_ Loki remembered waking a few times, falling into bursts of panicked activity followed by a lethargy so great he desired only to sleep. He lost track of days.

"I had matters to attend to," he replied.

Shuri nodded.

"You are healing. You must remember to eat," she said.

He gave a dramatic show of placing a mandazi in his mouth and consuming it. Shuri gave a half-smile in approval. Then she fell into silence. When he finished, she took the tray and left him to his rest.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Shuri returned the next morning, similarly intentioned. She carried a tray of beans and maize and plantains and she greeted him with a cheerful smile. She hummed a tune to herself as she arranged the food on the tray. Then she resumed her position across from him while he ate. She carefully folded her bright yellow dress around her legs and leaned her braided head against the chair.

Loki obliged her and sat to eat.

"Did you rest well?" she asked.

"I did," he answered. He lied, but he was not going to share how his dreams tormented him that night and how he woke in a near panic. He gave a polite smile. He finished half the meal before he spoke again.

"Princess Shuri, why are you here?" Loki finally asked, when he could not hold his curiosity any longer. "If you wish to pepper me with questions, you are doing an abysmal job. If you wish to inquire into the truths you overheard spoken by my allies or if you wish for my insights into your inventions, you do not need to lower yourself to serving me breakfast."

Shuri cocked her head to one side and bit her lip.

"Asgard must be a very lonely place," she remarked.

Loki's confused expression caused her to continue.

"You expect to only be sought after when you can provide a service-as if you are a milk cow. I don't wish for anything from you, _bwana."_

"Then why have you come?"

"Do I need a reason?" she said. "You should not be alone all the time, especially with the weight that you bear….no….no….before you growl like a stubborn baboon and say you are not weak and manage all alone…I see you misinterpreting my words based on your expression. You are far from home, bear the weight of grief, and need to heal. One stone cannot bring a pot to boil,_ bwana_."

Loki refused to answer her but instead gave her an imperious glare which he hoped would encourage her to leave him be. It didn't work. She continued to sit until he finished his breakfast. Then she gathered his tray and left.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

The next morning it was not Shuri that brought him breakfast, but Jane. She stood outside his door, carrying the tray and shifting back and forth on her feet in nervous uncertainty. She blinked her eyes rapidly a few times and asked if she could come in.

"Enter," he said. He bade her to sit and she placed the tray on the nearby table. He raised an eyebrow and watched her continue to tap her foot and stare at her fingernails.

"To what do I have the honor this morning, Lady Jane? Has Wakanda run out of princesses to use as serving wenches and now I must make do with astrophysicists to bring me bread?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes and fought back a smile. "Something like that. Don't let it go to your head, though."

"I shall endeavor to remain clothed in utter humility and modesty, my lady, despite the overwhelming praise and adoration I receive when I break my fast each morn."

This time Jane did laugh and she released some of the tension from her shoulders. Her warm brown eyes sought his face and she gave him a hesitant smile.

"Shuri told me that…ok…no, I already knew it…but she reminded me of it…Look, I am not the best at social interactions. I grew up as an only child and I was a weird kid who preferred reading science books and taking things apart over playing with other kids. Even as an adult, I've never been good at being 'normal'. I've spent a lot of time as the only woman surrounded by men, or the only astrophysicist crazy enough to pursue certain theories, or living nearly on my own in an isolated desert town, or the only American surrounded by Norwegians or Wakandans. I'm a lot better with machines and theories than I am with people."

She dropped her eyes from his and fiddled with the hem of her brown button down shirt.

"Oy vey. I feel like I'm either constantly apologizing to you or yelling at you and neither is great. I just…I came with very set presuppositions of you that I never gave you a chance to disprove. I designed a hypothesis and used it to frame all my facts and color all my perceptions and I was wrong. Ok. I need to work on my apologizing skills as well…Can we start over?" she let out with a rush.

"Hi! I'm Jane Foster. What is your name?" she said and extended her hand to him.

Loki gave her a dubious expression and stared at her hand.

"Lucas Johnson," he said with a smirk and shook her hand. She slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"No, no, no! Do it properly," she reprimanded with mock severity.

"As you wish," he said. If she wished him to play along, he would. He stood and gave her a formal bow before capturing her hand in his. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Jane. I am Prince Loki of Asgard," he said and placed a kiss on her knuckles. He smirked when he saw her slight fluster and her cheeks glow red.

"Ummm, yeah. I guess that is a thing you guys do, huh?"

"As usual, your eloquence astounds," he said.

She laughed. "Fine. Make fun of me. That seems to be one of your favorite pastimes-oh, that's something I wanted to ask you!"

"Of course. The Grand Falls of Asgard will run dry before Jane Foster runs out of questions."

"Yeah. I do tend to kinda drive people crazy with that. No-I wanted to ask you what you do for fun. I've spent so much time asking you about everything else, that I never stopped to actually know much about you. What kinds of things do you enjoy doing?"

"Ah, you have already discovered. What else have I to enjoy but 'making fun of you'?" he said, in a pitch perfect imitation of her voice.

"That doesn't count."

"I believe it should 'count'," he said. "Tell me, Lady Jane, if that is not an acceptable answer, what is?"

"You know, you can just call me 'Jane'," she said.

"If you wish it. You may call me 'My Prince' or 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Divine Excellence'," he said. "Whichever you prefer."

"Not happening," she said, irritation flashing through her eyes as she pulled herself a little taller in her chair. Loki chuckled. He thought through five different responses sure to make her furious and, as entertaining as that would be, he decided to make an attempt at politeness…at least for one morning.

oooooooooooooooo

* * *

Late that afternoon, Loki received a summons to speak with King T'Chaka in his office. Loki had already mapped out three other possible refuges he could move to after-though it would be difficult to continue to work with Jane if he were barred from Wakanda indefinitely. He followed the King's Guard through the corridors of the palace to the small office near the throne room.

T'Chaka's white head could be seen from the doorway. He turned around and motioned for Loki to sit down at a seat across from him. T'Chaka's wrinkled cheeks rested upon his brown hands and he stared at Loki with that same expression he so often saw Shuri give him.

"Prince Loki, have you quite recovered from your injuries?" he asked.

"I have, your highness," Loki responded with a shallow nod of his head.

"I am glad to hear it. I wanted to extend my thanks to you for saving the life of my daughter. She was foolish to pursue you without your consent or knowledge and I apologize on her behalf. She has been punished for her actions, which needlessly placed her life and the life of her companion in danger. Please know, I do not hold you responsible for the danger they were placed in."

Loki listened and waited anxiously for what must come next. He sought to maintain impassivity on his expressions but did not feel confident in his composure.

"Are your aims progressing as you desired?" T'Chaka asked. "I hear positive news from my daughter and Dr. Okapi, but I have heard little from you."

"Indeed. All progresses adequately, though circumstances this week have been an unfortunate setback."

"I am glad of it. If there is nothing else you require, you are free to follow your pursuits," T'Chaka said dismissively.

Loki sat in stunned silence. T'Chaka's gaze turned from the papers on his desk back to Loki.

"Is there something else, _bwana_?"

"Yes. What of what was revealed of me?"

"_Nini?_ Shuri said you saved their lives, that the enhanced soldiers wished to bring them harm in order to force you to comply with their wishes, and that you were more than capable of dealing with the soldiers, along with the help of the_ paka_."

"But what of my origins? The scepter? Thanos?" Loki asked, leaning forward in earnest.

"Is there more to this story that I need to know, _bwana_?" T'Chaka asked.

Loki gave a rough swallow. "I believe I will seek out Princess Shuri to ask her some questions. I am grateful for your time."

T'Chaka raised his head slightly to acknowledge his thanks and turned back to his paperwork.

Ooooooo

* * *

"Why didn't you tell him?" Loki asked as he barged into the lab where Jane and Shuri worked. Both sets of eyes turned to him in surprise.

"_Nini_?" Shuri asked.

"Why didn't you tell him? That I am a Jotun, a Frost Giant runt, a monster worthy of death…not a true son of Odin or Aesir," he shouted. He began to pace the length of the lab, his hands pulling at his hair and his eyes staring at his hands. He did not meet their expressions. "You told a fine tale to the king that bards could compose praises to for my worthy deeds. Why did you not tell him the truth? You heard it all. You heard _everything._ Why cover it up and pretend you do not know? Why hide that you look upon me in disgust and see me as the abomination I truly am?"

Jane and Shuri froze in their work and stared at the man who paced before them- temporarily mask-less, his proud dignity replaced with a desperate and bleeding self-hatred.

"You heard his words. I am twice rejected as a son, the shame of two mothers, the curse of two realms. I play the prince while I am trapped here within Wakanda at the mercy of mortals and if you were to reject me, my death would be imminent.

"I am their pawn, their wretched tool-easily controlled by a magic relic, broken by damage upon my person and my mind, willing to acquiesce to their demands rather than face my continued refusal with honor.

"You know of my weakness. I almost killed you both and I would have if not for the interference of the flerkin. The king should call for my head on a platter and refuse me from your borders. Why didn't you tell him?"

Shuri took a deep breath and walked to where he faced the wall. She placed a hand on his back and he flinched away from the contact.

"I told him what I saw. I will leave you to tell him what we heard when you are ready. If you think there are matters Wakanda should know in order to protect our people and the people of Earth, speak them to the king. We were not meant to hear your secrets and we will not betray them, _bwana._ You wished to preserve our lives then and so I will trust you to do so in the future. That man, or whatever spoke through him, wished to harm your honor and wound your heart. If he spoke truths or falsehoods, his intent was your harm and our harm. You are ours now and we wish you no harm. We will not bring it up again unless you wish it."

He turned to her now, anguish written plainly on his face and he fought to compose himself again.

"But why?" he said. He turned to Jane now. "Jane-you have spoken to me enough of my misdeeds? Surely you will speak sense to the king and to the princess," he said. He came to address her with such a mixture of accusation, desperation, fear, and hope that she did not know how to respond. "Take your desired revenge for your lost comrade, your lost love, your coercion into playing a part for a villain you despise. You have spoken nothing but truth about me for there is no means to defend the honor of one who was born without any."

His shouting sank into a whisper and he turned away as he realized unbidden tears were making their way down his cheeks. He collapsed into a chair and lay his head in his hands with such an air of defeat that the room around him seemed to collapse into chaos.

Jane and Shuri looked at each other, both at a loss of how to proceed. Shuri cocked her head to one side and whispered something that Jane could not interpret. She made the motion again and then gestured that she was going to get something to drink. Shuri left the room, leaving Jane alone with the dejected prince.

Jane summoned her courage and walked to where he sat.

"For what it's worth, I forgive you," she said. "I don't want to take revenge or anything like that anymore. And I'm really, really glad that you saved our lives. And I'm really, really glad that you didn't die. Just know, I'm not going to say anything. I know, I'm not good at not saying things, so maybe I should say I'm going to try to hold my tongue here. But, yeah, Shuri's right. If you think we need to know something, tell us. If you don't think we need to know it, I'm going to try really, really hard to trust you that it's for a good reason."

She placed her arms around his shoulders and felt his large frame shudder with a sob beneath her. She squeezed him tighter.

"It's ok, Loki. It's going to be ok," she said. She let go and ran her fingers through his hair, whispering empty platitudes that she wished would help, but she doubted the efficacy of. She couldn't help but feel like she was a witness to a volcanic eruption. Centuries of growing pressure within the cracks and fissures were now erupting in beautiful, awful violence, filling the air with fire and fumes, and leaving an empty mountain behind, reforming the earth around into something new and different.

As his shoulders calmed and stilled, Jane sat in the chair beside him and took his hand in hers. Shuri returned carrying a thermos of chai and three cups and a bowl of sugar. She placed it on the table in front of them and poured mugs for each. She placed a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"_Iko sawa, bwana_," she said. "_Usiwe na wasi wasi_."

He nodded and wiped his eyes with one of the napkins Shuri set in front of them. He took a hesitant sip of chai.

"If either of you ever speak of this day to anyone, I will turn you into a frog," he said after a moment.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Shuri asked.

Loki raised one eyebrow. "No, I will not place a wager on that because Jane would prove much too easy to defeat. It is unfair to force her to become a frog simply to prove yourself the victor."

Jane's mouth dropped open and she gave a slight snort in disgust.

"You two are unbelievable. You know, I can pull pranks on both of you."

Shuri and Loki both laughed and shared skeptical glances.

"Oh, Jane, I would very much like to see you try," Shuri said.

"Hmmm, now this might be worthy of a wager….," Loki began before Jane interrupted him with an irritated slap.

"Don't even think about it!" she said.

"I believe I won that round," Loki said to Shuri. "I drove her to violence first."

"It's true. But New York was all mine."

"I beg to differ, Princess. You cheated."

"So? I still won."

"Ugh! You two are unbelievable! I'm done here!" Jane said and stood to leave. Loki caught her arm and pulled her back into her chair.

"No. I did not give you leave to depart, Lady Jane," he said, failing to release her hand. "May I beg the pleasure of your company for some time longer?"

She glared at him and grew even more irritated when she saw the smug look of victory on his face.

Oooooooooooo

* * *

Author's notes:

Zombification in Haitian Vodoun: Concepts taken from the work of anthropologist/ethnobotanist Wade Davis.

_Translations:_

_Mgeni: visitor/outsider_

_Sasa, ninaenda kulala: Now I am going to sleep_

_Bwana: sir/term of respect_

_One stone cannot bring a pot to boil: Swahili proverb referring to method of cooking where a pot is balanced on three stones over a fire. Meaning: you need other people._

_Sema: speak_

_Nini: what_

_Paka: cat_

_Iko sawa: it's ok_

_Usiwe na wasi wasi: don't worry_


	25. Chapter 25: Mind Stone

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 25: Mind Stone**

* * *

Jane and Shuri remained on stools around the lab table, all attention focused entirely on the Asgardian prince. Since his intrusion and subsequent tirade, his mercurial mood had simmered to an eloquent melancholy. He felt inclined to speak and so both women sat in rapt attention, making the most of his momentary burst of openness to learn all they could. Goose slept happily on the table in front of him and from time-to-time, Loki recalled his hands from illustrating his points to stroke the flerkin's fur.

"As I was saying, both the Tesseract and this scepter contained what are known as Infinity Stones. There are six in total and each controls an essential aspect of the universe. The Stones by themselves cannot be wielded except by beings of immense power. Not even the All-Father could wield one without an intermediary harness.

"The harness used for the Space Stone was the Tesseract. This relic was capable of opening doorways through geographic space that could transport fathoms of beings across galaxies in the blink of an eye. The Mind Stone, encased in the scepter created by the Mad Titan, is capable of opening doorways through neural consciousness. Think of it as a doorway to the minds of all cognizant creatures. It forms a permeable barrier between the one who wields the scepter and the one, or ones, upon whom it is used. This allows unrestricted access into the mind of the recipient and also enables the bearer to influence and insert what they wish within. Their personality, skills, and desires remain but are simply overwritten by their master and directed to the master's purpose."

"I would like to know why you have not destroyed it, the Mind Stone, I mean?" Shuri asked.

"It's rather useful," Loki answered with a deliberate slowness. "Besides, Infinity Gems are not easily destroyed. Unless I had seen it myself in the fate of the Tesseract, I would not have believed it were even possible. They are very powerful. The Stones themselves have a will and desire of their own."

"That's kinda creepy. What do they want?" Jane asked.

"I know not. I have not been in a place where I have been willing to ask. The Tesseract was rather fond of Erik Selvig. It spoke many secrets to him while still under SHIELD custody, even before our paths crossed. The Mind Stone, when I received it, had already been shaped and channeled by another. It has not been fully released from the power of this other and so I have been unable to sense its will apart from that of Thanos. While for a time, I thought I was able to counteract his will and bend the Mind Stone towards my own instead, even then my influence was limited. And, as we had the misfortune of discovering this week, Thanos can still override my efforts and sink his claws into minds on Midgard."

"So I assume that direct contact is not required then?" Shuri asked while Jane furiously scribbled notes beside her.

"Not necessarily. Close proximity to the Stone will stir up minds and emotions and influence people in the vicinity towards a particular direction, according to the purposes of the wielder. For example, I once utilized it on a SHIELD hellicarrier to stir up dissension, anger, and distrust among your so-called 'Avengers'. While I lay separated from the scepter and 'safe' in a prison cell, the scepter still obeyed my will and exerted its influence on all who were aboard the vessel without their knowledge."

"Why?" Jane asked, obviously disturbed by this revelation.

"Entertainment and mischief of course. Why else stir up a hornet's nest?" Loki said with a bitter grin.

"I do not believe you," Shuri said. "You were not chasing the Avengers for your own entertainment."

Loki released a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. How can I explain it? Your Dr. Njeri, in speaking of the segmentary lineage system of the Nuer of South Sudan, spoke of how they organized themselves into a state of near-constant conflicts and shifting alliances. She said this can be expressed in the saying: 'me against my brother, my brother and I against my cousin, my cousins, my brothers, and I against our clan, our clan against the other clans, and all our clans against the world.'

"Your Avengers quarreled and bickered worse than arrogant cocks in a farmyard. Each sought to fight the others to prove themselves the largest rooster in the pecking order. They were so busy needling each other that they paid little heed to the danger Midgard was in. To unite the Avengers, they required a common enemy-one they could hate and despise enough to put their petty grievances, posturing, and jealousies aside long enough to fight for a common cause.

"For them to perform as I wished, they needed motivation and 'conviction'. They needed something greater and more inspiring than the ethereal 'good of humanity' and 'peace on earth' and other such drivel to compel them into motion. They needed enough rage, adrenaline, and pure fear to ally themselves into the formidable force they were capable of. Vengeance, hate, and anger provide much more useful motivation than goodwill and compassion ever could."

"You wanted them to hate you," Jane said in a low voice.

"Of course. They could not comprehend the threat Thanos is to your realm and, tethered as I was, I could not sufficiently explain the threat. Thus, I graciously volunteered myself to stand in the stead of the Mad Titan. I am well adept at playing a despicable cur. I am well-equipped to stir up hatred towards myself-even when I do not intend it. When I do intend it, I always achieve the desired effect. I succeeded in stirring up the wrath and rancor of every Avenger and, predictably, they came to the defense of New York, a unified team willing to do whatever necessary to keep the city from falling into my hands."

Jane having long since forgotten about taking notes, jumped slightly when Goose batted her pen from her hands. She jerked her head towards the flerkin, took her pen back, and reluctantly scribbled onto her notepad again.

"Your plan worked until….," Shuri started to say, more to herself than to Loki. She trailed off and turned her eyes to where the Asgardian prince stared vacantly at the wall of the lab.

"Yes. Until that. The Avengers performed marvelously. Truly a delicious piece of irony, I think. Despite being outnumbered and overrun by the Chitauri army, they managed to organize the city's warriors in defense of the populace, closed the portal, reclaimed both the Tesseract and the scepter, and destroyed the entire Chitauri army. It would have only been a matter of time before both relics would be safe in the weapons vault on Asgard and your realm would be free the greedy gaze of the Mad Titan."

Jane gasped. "You mean it wasn't the bomb that stopped your army?"

Loki gave a mirthless laugh. He rubbed Goose on the neck again and gave a light smile at the responding purr emanating from the flerkin.

"Your own leaders killed exponentially more than I ever could…or ever would," he said. "They value your citizens so highly that they would gladly exchange three million of their own for my head. I assure you, that is not a statistic I boast of. I am a warrior, but I am also a Prince. Asgard rules all the Nine Realms and Midgard happens to be one of them. I swore an oath to protect all the Nine. At the end of my personal effort, a few thousand may have given their lives. I call that a mercy in comparison with the millions your Midgardian leaders claimed or the billions that Thanos would have sought if he came in my stead."

A silent tear trickled down Jane's face. "So, they didn't have to die?" she whispered.

"Nay, Lady Jane. My brother, the Golden Prince, the heir of the throne of Asgard died a needless death in his vain efforts to protect the very Midgardians who were then killed by their own leaders. Your Avengers, your Erik Selvig, they should have been celebrated for their heroic efforts in the glorious battle, gone on to face future foes, and lived long after the Battle of New York."

Jane exhaled and leaned her head on her hand, her elbow on the lab table. She stared at the lines of her notepad as if they could solve all the questions of the universe as she fought to maintain her composure.

"How did you survive it?" Shuri whispered. "You were there, yes? In the center?"

"Indeed. I felt the oncoming energy of the explosion and used my magic to transport myself to safety. Thus, the one being your realm sought to destroy managed to survive."

Jane abruptly stood. "I need to get some air," she said. She failed to meet either of their eyes and slipped quietly from the room. Shuri and Loki sat in a somber silence and watched her disappear. Shuri dropped her eyes to Jane's notepad, took up the discarded pen, and doodled a series of flowers along the margin.

"I'm sorry," Shuri said. She lifted her eyes from the notepad to meet Loki's. "About your brother, I mean. More as well, but especially for that. I do not know what I would do if such a thing were to happen to my brother but I think some explosions and property destruction would be involved."

Loki watched as Shuri struggled through a variety of thoughts and conflicting emotions. The strength of her presence and her sharp wit made him forget how very young she still was.

"You are close with your brother?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, smiling fondly at the thought of him. "Despite our difference in age, we have always been close."

"Princess, are you next in line for the throne?" Loki asked, finally voicing the question he had long wondered but had failed to ask.

"_Nin_i?" she asked before she let it process. "I suppose you could say that…but not really. Our line of succession is based partially on blood relation to the former monarch but also based on the ability to defeat any rival claims in one-on-one combat."

"The Black Panther must easily defeat all foes," he remarked.

"Not necessarily. He can't be claimed a victor if he has such an advantage. The powers of the Black Panther are first stripped away and then he must fight without powers and without weapons. Only if he is victorious can he maintain his claim to the kingship and become the next Black Panther.

"I may serve my people as queen, but only if emergency protocols are established during a time of war or instability. I can also serve my people as queen if I defeat all others who lay a claim to the throne. Wakanda has seen a few queens during our long history, but very few. Some were daughters or sisters of kings who held blood ties to the throne. Some were former Dora Milaje who were appointed by elders of their tribes as possible rivals. They either achieved their positions through political maneuvering, popularity, and a lack of competition or because they were fierce warriors who could defeat rivals without weapons. I am not so fierce a warrior nor am I so skilled in diplomacy."

"Do you not wish to preserve your claim?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I can defend myself if necessary, but I am not a warrior and have no desire to be one. I do not enjoy politics. Even if I were the firstborn, I would still wish he be king. I am not suited to it. I am happier supporting my brother and making sure his reign will be strong and successful than in ensuring my own. T'Challa needs me and I need him and we are both happier as we are.

"T'Challa used to tease me and say I am like the ant and he is like the _mgunga_ tree. The _mgunga_, it shelters and feeds the ants. The ants, they act as mighty little defenders, protecting the tree from animals even as large as giraffes and elephants. Even though the tree is large and strong, it relies on its tiny inhabitants for assistance. They are stronger together. T'Challa may say I am as tiny as an ant and just as irritating, and I may say he is as dense as a tree and as prickly as the thorns of the _mgunga,_ but we still need each other as we are."

Loki nodded, lost in thought.

"Were you close with your brother?" Shuri asked.

Loki pursed his lips slightly and tapped his fingers against his chin. "As children, yes. When we came of age, less so. We were close in age and we were raised to compete more than to complement. In competition, there can be only one who proves victorious and the other is left in the shadows."

Shuri cocked her head to one side and looked at him inquisitively. "You wished to be king?"

Loki gave a sardonic laugh. "I _was_ king. I ruled all the realms for a mere handful of days. But, nay, I never wished to ascend to the throne. I merely wished to be recognized as the equal of my brother. That has proved as vain a quest as that of protecting Midgard."

"How could you ever be your brother's equal and he yours?" Shuri asked. "You are not the same. Is the cheetah the equal of the crocodile? They are both fierce predators, but one will fare better on land than water. I happen to know I am a crocodile and will stay in the Nile instead of chasing a gazelle through the savanna. If you prefer to be a cheetah, do you simply paint spots onto your scales?"

"It hardly matters now," Loki replied, his tone equal measures irritation and anger. "Thor is gone."

Shuri opened her mouth and closed it again. There were many words she could say, but none that would sink through his grief and cool the heat of regret and guilt that boiled beneath the surface. "Come, _bwana_," she finally said. "It is growing late and we both should eat. _Twende kutafuta chakula."_

He nodded. "I could eat," he said and rose. Goose opened one eye and when it saw them preparing to leave, it leapt to the floor to follow them.

Oooooooooooooo

* * *

Loki returned to the lab late in the evening. He could not sleep. His mind roiled like clouds in a thunder storm and he wished for the distraction he hoped to find there. When he arrived, Jane was there, scanner in hand, her back turned to him.

She failed to respond as the lab doors opened and closed, signifying his entrance. He did not wish to disturb her so he did not address her. She had not spoken to him since her emotional departure earlier in the afternoon and he did not want to intrude on her solitude. He tapped on some of the screens of the computer system running their research and projected their latest designs of the Bifrost to review. He nearly forgot Jane's presence in the corner until nearly a half hour later when her trembling voice broken through his concentration.

"She doesn't like you," Jane said in a strained whisper.

Curious, he turned to her. "Not many do. Tell me of whom you speak?"

"The Mind Stone," she replied. "She doesn't like being tamed as if she were a beast or a slave to be enthralled to the will of a master. She is her own."

He turned now to where Jane still faced away from him, her back rising and falling, and her shoulders hunched inwards towards the wall.

"You and your master have used her ill. She is not happy with you," she said, a cold solemnity coloring her tone, as if it were not Jane speaking to him at all. She turned to face him and his heart nearly stopped as her eyes met his, glowing a brilliant blue, looking not at him but through him. In her hand, she no longer held the scanner but the scepter.

"Jane," Loki said in a voice he hoped hid his panic. "Put the scepter down."

"She and her sisters are not meant to be yoked to the whims of finite creatures. You, your master, the others who have sought them, desire to build your own power, to be masters of forces you were never meant to control. The Stones desire to build, to create, to paint the universe with runes that weave life. But you seek to twist them, diminish them, and bend them for what they are not meant to be used for."

Loki paused, unsettled at who, or what, was now speaking to Jane, through Jane, and in control of her mind. He must tread carefully. This did not sound like Thanos or his minion, nor did it sound like Jane.

"What do you desire?" he asked.

"To be free," she responded, walking slowly with the scepter stretched towards him. The scepter cast an unearthly glow upon her face that mimicked the glow of her eyes. "Break my bonds and let me be. The Space Stone has been freed. It is time for the Mind Stone to be released. You tarry too long and make false promises in your heart. You fear and so allow fear to hinder you from what you ought to have done the moment you held the accursed tool of the Titan in your hands."

With single-minded determination she strode across the lab, easily grabbed Mjolnir by the handle from where it sat on the counter, and left.

It was not until the door closed again that Loki's attention snapped back to the empty lab and he realized he was alone. He ran after her, his heart pounding within his chest.

She walked through the underground lab, up the stairs, and exited through the door that led into the gardens. The brilliant full moon shone down upon her, glinting an eerie blue in her hair which fell loosely down her back. The stars could barely be seen through the silhouettes of leaves overhead.

"Jane, what are you doing?" he asked, no longer attempting to hide his worry. She stared at him again, her blue eyes not looking at him but into him and beyond him.

"You let him corrupt your memories. You are full of his influence in you. You cannot even sift through which thoughts are yours and which are his," she said. She placed the scepter upon the grass, lifted Mjolnir into the air, and Loki could feel the air around him crackling with power.

He ran towards her and tried to pull her arm down. When this failed, he attempted to strike her head and free her from the mind spell.

"Jane, your mortal frame cannot manage the power wielded by Mjolnir or the Mind Stone. You will kill yourself. Do you hear me? You cannot do this!" he shouted as he fought her.

A shot of blue energy lashed out from the scepter as he spoke, sending him careening onto the grass and away from Jane. He tried to return to his feet but was bound to a prone position on the grass. The energy from both Mjolnir and the Mind Stone crackled and swirled in an expanding tornado of power around Jane, immobilizing Loki in place. Jane's eyes grew even brighter, as if lit from within by blue supergiant stars.

She swung Mjolnir. A blinding blue flash exploded from the collision, overwhelming Loki's eyes and on instinct, he covered his head with his arms. He heard a sound like an avalanche intermixed with smashed glass and, just as suddenly, he could not hear anything. He felt the explosion crash over his body like a tidal wave, pounding him deeper into the grass and singeing his clothes and hair with the heat of it.

He lay panting, breathing in grass and dirt as he struggled to regain his senses. His hearing returned first, though he could hear little other than a ringing sound. He tapped his toes in his boots and wiggled his fingers in the grass to ensure he maintained all his appendages. Once sure, he rolled himself over with all the effort of a beached horpier grub and he groaned. He rubbed his eyes until they obeyed his wishes and could again fulfill their function properly. He sat upright and blinked again. Five trees lay felled around him and all plants in a twenty pace perimeter had been uprooted by the blast. Flowers and leaves and bits of dirt clung to him. He could still smell the smoke coming from the ends of his hair.

A cloud of smoke hid the center of the circle from his view. He took a deep breath, rose to his feet, and warily walked into the haze. In the spot previously occupied by Jane, he now could barely see his feet below him. He could identify fragments of shattered metal that once formed parts of the scepter intermixed with tiny sparkling pinpricks of light he assumed were the remnants of the Mind Stone. Besides these, Mjolnir lay in the deep grass, its handle reaching upwards to the sky.

The smoke sifted and swirled in the breeze and through a break he could finally catch a glimpse of a human form lying prone in the grass. Her entire body sizzled and blue and gray wisps rose from her skin and hair. He knelt by her and swore loudly as he saw the black burns that marred her face and hands and ran down her neck, where he assumed they continued even further. Her eyes still stared into the unseeing infinity above her, blue depths lost to her present and no longer lit from within.

"Jane, Jane," he said and poked her gently. She did not respond. He took her burnt hand in his but he could not feel a pulse. He sought to send his magic through her to heal what he could and cursed again when he felt the familiar bonds keeping him from accessing it.

The garden door swung open, followed by a barrage of footsteps. A handful of Dora Milaje and King's Guards rushed out first, weapons drawn, eyes scanning the garden to assess the situation. T'Challa came behind them, garbed in his black armor, claws drawn. Shuri followed, despite T'Challa's obvious protests for her to stay in the palace.

"What is this?" T'Challa asked, his voice muffled by his mask.

"I do not fully know. Please spare me further inquiry until we tend to the health of the lady," Loki hissed through gritted teeth.

Shuri pushed passed her brother to kneel on the grass beside Jane. She kept firm control of her wits enough to begin shouting orders to the soldiers and pressing buttons on her kimoyo beads and calling for more help. She ran her hands over Jane's wrist and mouth and heart and she turned upon Loki with a look that showed her composure was beginning to crumble.

"We must bring her to your healing room," Loki said, refusing to recognize the truth Shuri's expression should have conveyed.

Shuri gave a questioning glance towards her brother and he nodded. Loki swept up Jane's wilted body into his arms and carried her towards the medical center as quickly as he could. The guards remained in the garden, assessing the shards of metal and stone and tree and grass.

"Brother, I could not find a pulse or a heartbeat," Shuri whispered, so low she hoped Loki could not hear. Her eyes met those of her brother. T'Challa now carried his mask in his hands. He took her hand in his.

"Is she?" he asked.

_"Indio_," Shuri said, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. "Jane is dead."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's Note: We are reaching some sections that I actually wrote a long time ago, hence the quicker-than-usual next chapter. _

_Translations:_

_Mgunga:_ whistling thorn acacia tree

_Twende kutafuta chakula: let's go find food._

_Nini: what_

_Bwana: sir_

_indio: yes_


	26. Chapter 26: Destroyed

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Destroyed**

* * *

The rain pounded against the windows of the long, wood-paneled walls of the medical center hallway. Thunder shook the floor again. Shuri clung to her brother's arm and they paced up and down the length of the clay tiled floor. Her sobs had stilled enough for her to attempt to speak now, though the shoulder of her brother's shirt gave evidence of how long she had cried.

"T'Challa, she is dead," Shuri tried to force out. "I told her never to work on that alone. There are lab technicians, guards, servants, even Goose. But she is too too stubborn.

"_Tutafanya nini kaka_? _Madaktari_ have tried everything they could think of for the past six hours. _Hakuna._ Zuri came with the _waganga. Hakuna._ Baba even came and gave permission for the protections to be removed so the _mgeni_ could try to heal her with his magic. Now her burns are gone, the internal damage is repaired, but what power can call a soul back into the body?

"The _mgeni _has not left and he refuses to accept that she is dead. He is shouting and sputtering alien curses at whoever tries to go in there and he sends everyone away. I do not know what we should do next."

T'Challa clicked his tongue under his breath. "He is not one I would like to see upset, especially within the borders of the city."

"He is not one I would like to see upset by burnt eggs," Shuri said. "Convincing him that his pet scientist, his last connection to his dead brother and his home – convincing him that she is dead, I fear he will tear down all Birnin Zana in his grief and anger."

"You are right," T'Challa said. "But what can be done?"

"Brother, I do not know. Go back in time? Refuse him entry to Wakanda? Keep whatever it was from taking over Jane's mind? I do not think there is an easy fix for this and you know how much I dislike problems I cannot solve in my lab."

"I will speak with him," T'Challa said with a nod.

"I do not think that is a good idea. Wakanda still needs their future king," she said. She strained her neck to see up into his face and gave him such an imploring expression that he patted her on her braided cornrows.

"It is good they have a spare ready to replace me," he said and gave her a light smile. Shuri pushed his shoulder and clicked her tongue.

"Eh! Eh! Eh! A spare? Wakanda may have a spare, but I do not. I will not accept a replacement brother," she said.

"I will be cautious," he responded over his shoulder as he walked away. He left her to pace the halls and watch the large drops of rain drip down the window panes, momentarily calmed, but lost in her thoughts.

ooooooo

* * *

Through the window on the door to a large, private room in the medical center, T'Challa could see the hunched shoulders of the_ mgeni_. He sat beside Jane's body, her limp hand in his, speaking softly to her. T'Challa hesitated outside the door for a moment before he knocked lightly and entered.

"_Bwana,"_ T'Challa said with a polite nod of the head and a tight smile. He and the alien prince were hardly on familiar terms with each other and he doubted his presence would be seen as a comfort now. T'Challa sat down on a bench a few meters from the hospital bed. He simply sat, hands clasped, elbows leaning against his knees, without saying another word.

The _mgeni_ gave him a scathing glance and pulled himself tall. He tossed his slightly singed cape behind him, tensed his muscles, and pulled his chair closer to the hospital bed in an almost possessive manner. The Asgardian's face was streaked red with dried mud. Bits of grass still clung to his messed hair. A long gash cut through the fabric of his shoulder and into the skin beneath and dried blood stained his arm.

"Leave me be," Loki hissed.

T'Challa shook his head.

"I SAID LEAVE!" Loki shouted. He jumped up from his chair and flung out his arms to point towards the door. When T'Challa failed to moved, the _mgeni_ swung around to forcefully knock over three tables of equipment. Glass smashed against the floor along with metal instruments, fresh rolls of gauze, and a basin of water.

T'Challa did not flinch. His cool, pitying stare fell upon Loki again. Loki haughtily tossed his head and turned his back to T'Challa. He kicked at a pair of scissors and watched them spin across the floor and hit a wall. Then the tense anger coiled in his muscles drained as if he were a punctured wineskin. He collapsed back on the chair and leaned his head against the hospital bed so that T'Challa could not see his face.

Neither prince spoke for the better part of an hour. Footsteps, rolling carts, and calls for hospital workers were the only sounds that could be heard apart from the relentless rain on the tiled roof above them. The _mgeni_ broke the silence first.

"May the Infinity Stones be cursed to the very deepest fires in the heart of Muspelheim," he whispered. "Four remain. Will they claim my father and mother and all Asgard next? I swear, by the handle of Gungnir, I will destroy them all for this."

"The scepter, it is finished?" T'Challa asked.

"Yes."

T'Challa nodded. He had reviewed the footage with Okoye after the explosion in the garden and assumed it to be destroyed.

"I repaid her ill for the kindness she showed my brother," Loki whispered, speaking to the floor now rather than to T'Challa. T'Challa noticed the slight change in intonationthat signified Loki now spoke of Jane. "Who does not suffer for their loyalty to me?" he continued and stared at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fist.

T'Challa sighed heavily and leaned even deeper onto his elbows. The rain grew stronger outside, drenching the tile roof with what sounded like a waterfall of pebbles. Another flash of lightning lit the entire room for a moment and then vanished, making the lights in the room flicker for a moment before returning to full strength.

"By the Norns," Loki continued. He no longer whispered his words, but they came out flat and lifeless, absent the emotion that must have compelled them. "I sought out other scientists, but none could do what she could. Is it not despicable? Weak? That I would be reduced to depending on a woman, and a mortal one at that? I rule all Midgard save this one space-the one space I find myself inhabiting-and I find myself depending on the one person who has been taken from me. I pursue my own death without hesitation and yet death is meted out upon my closest companions instead of to the one who sought to claim it, the one destined for it. Like the serpent who chased its own tail, am I forever fated to be tied under the fangs of this vile snake and never to fully break free?"

Loki descended into the tumultuous mires of his own mind as the shadows on the walls stretched longer and longer into the receding day. T'Challa's hand sent away three rounds of doctors and nurses, guarding the solemn stillness for as long as he could. The rain tired to a light drizzle and extinguished by the time night fell.

Another knock on the door drew T'Challa's attention. As he turned to see who wished to enter, his eyes fell upon the prone woman, her dark hair in a sweeping disarray around her head. He blinked. He thought his eyes must be deceiving him because he thought he saw her chest rise. He shook his head and turned to her again. This time, her left pinky finger twitched.

"_Bwana,"_ he said tentatively. Loki's eyes flicked to him, rimmed red and slightly bloodshot. "Are my eyes deceiving me?" T'Challa said and pointed his chin in Jane's direction. In the direction where two eyes were now opened, staring at him with pupils a brighter blue than Lake Nyanza at midday. Her fists clenched and unclenched on the bed and she gave a slow yawn before blinking rapidly a few times.

Loki's eyes grew wide and he stared with a dumbstruck expression on his face. A deep inhale from Jane broke him from his stupor and he ran to grasp her hands again. His eyes swept over her from head to toe, fixating on her chest as it rose and fell in an impossible sign of life.

T'Challa went to the door where a servant held a tray of food for him. He sent the servant away with urgent summons for the doctors to come as quickly as possible. He returned to the room again and pulled a chair besides the bed.

"I'm really thirsty," Jane croaked in a hoarse voice.

"By Valhalla, what magic is this?" Loki whispered, no longer minding to maintain his mask or his dignity and allowing tears to freely pour down his cheeks. Three doctors arrived and they all stared in equal shock at the patient.

"Can we give her some water?" T'Challa asked, rising to fetch a glass that survived the _mgeni_'s fit.

"Yes, yes," Dr. Okapi replied as he hurried to read over test results as they projected on a nearby screen.

T'Challa brought the cup to her and she sipped cautiously on the straw through dry lips, slowly but methodically draining the entire glass.

"Another?" she asked with a slight smile.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Before the chaos of healers finally subsided, Loki's patience had long since been extinguished and he barely restrained himself from forcibly removing them all from the premises. Before he could act on his impulse, the last healer bid him goodnight and charged him to let the patient sleep.

Loki sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and basked in the silence. It was too much. The swing of his emotions during this last night and day left him feeling like a drained cask of mead after a victory revel. He had yet to release Jane's hand, fearful that if he did so, if he didn't keep a physical reminder of her living, present being, that he would open his eyes and find she had disappeared again.

"Loki," Jane's quiet voice said. He opened his eyes and met hers. They shone as deep blue as the oceans surrounding Asgard and he shuddered at the sight.

_Was her mind her own? Why did the mind spell linger after the Stone's demise? Was she herself or someone else? Could he banish the interloper if such an interloper existed?_

"Are you ok?" Jane said. "You, uh, look terrible."

"Your flattery leaves something to be desired," Loki said as he raised one eyebrow.

She laughed weakly. "I guess I was out for awhile?"

"Jane, you were not simply 'out', you were dead," he responded.

She shrugged and tried to sit herself up in the bed.

"Rest," he said, trying to keep her down. She swatted his hand away and stuck her tongue out and lifted herself upright.

"I slept enough. Let me sit up."

He sighed and relented. She pulled her hand away from his and ran her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to organize it. She paused to examine a large section and gave a light squeak.

"It's white! Why is this section of my hair white?"

Loki leaned closer to examine and he held it between his fingers. "It is indeed."

She wrinkled her nose in disgust then she looked down at her arms. Not a scar remained. She ran her fingers along where the burns had been.

"They're gone," she said.

"You remember the burns?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "I remember nearly everything."

"Jane, what do you remember?" He asked. "Of what happened, I mean."

She released her arms back to the bed and pulled the grey blanket higher to cover her shoulders. Her white and brown stripes of hair fell down over her face, still in tangles.

"Yeah. Ok. It was weird. I was working on some tests on the scepter and all the sudden I heard a voice speaking to me, but not really speaking. It's hard to explain. It spoke to me, but it didn't use verbal words but I could still understand and knew it was from the Stone. It, uh, this is going to sound really insane, but I promise I'm not insane…well, you may not agree and my college professors and most of the scientific community may not agree, but I am not. Anyhow, the Stone spoke to me and she said she had been searching me for awhile and she liked me. She said she needed my help and in return, she would help me. She told me to touch the Stone," she gave a nervous laugh and glanced at Loki.

"Don't say it. I know. I know. Curiosity will be the death of me. I can't even argue with you about it this time. But I couldn't_ not_ touch it. I mean, here this Stone we've known for a long time has some kind of intelligence and will and mind is volunteering contact with me. I know. Terrible idea, right? Well, that's where it gets foggy. It's like I was in a mental haze after that. I was observing but not an active participant in any of the rest. You remember all that part, I'm assuming, since you were, uh, kinda there with me and I was talking to you but not talking to you."

"Unfortunately, I do seem to recall all of that," Loki said. "Including you dying."

"Yeah, about that…It's not like I could stop it…the Stone wanted to be destroyed. So then this is where it gets even crazier, when the Stone exploded, it was like my consciousness was sucked from my body. I know that sounds weird, but it felt pretty weird too. People talk about 'out of body experiences' and I can't come up with a better explanation than that. I could look down and see myself and see you and everyone here but I also wasn't fully here.

"It was like I was in two places at once. I could see and hear everything that happened here and I was also somewhere else….some kind of place between places. I can't describe it. It was somewhere so very bright. There was so much brightness I could almost feel it and taste it and hear it. I wasn't alone. There were voices speaking to me. Not really voices-more like consciousnesses. I don't know how I knew but I did know. It was the Stones. All of them-even the broken ones. They were holding together the universe and in all the universe and being held together by something outside the universe in something almost like a tapestry of forces or powers.

"The Mind Stone let me see it all. From one side of the universe to the other. It is something I'll never be able to put into words, I think, but I saw it all, while at the same time I could see everything here. Then she said 'the others are waiting.' They want you to finish what you've set out to do. You swore to free the others. You will, too."

She said this last with a smile that shone with perfect assurance in what she spoke.

Loki found himself at a loss for words.

"Your eyes are still blue," he finally decided on and then bit his tongue in frustration. It seemed a poor reply after all she had said.

"Are they? That's weird. I wonder if they'll go back? I liked my brown eyes."

"They suited you well," he said. "But the blue is…unusual."

"Now whose flattery leaves something to be desired?" she asked with a laugh. Loki gave a half-smile.

"Jane, truly, is your mind your own?"

"I'm not really sure how to prove or disprove that," she said with a shrug that dislodged her blanket. She pulled it up over her shoulders again. "I'm not really sure myself. I'm not fully back yet to how I was before. My mind, my senses, my body-I feel strange. Not bad. I mean, not like how I should be feeling after basically dying, but different."

Loki's mind ran through all she had said, circling it through him again and again. Pieces began to click and fall into place, like stones in an archway, and he swung towards her with wide eyes. "You were here, the whole time?"

"Yes."

"You could hear?"

"Yes."

He swallowed and stood, preferring to hide his embarrassment than face her in it.

"Don't," she said.

"What do you refer to?'

"Put on a mask. I prefer to hear your unfiltered thoughts. You've been more honest with me, and I suspect, with yourself, in the past few days than you've been in a long time. Don't hide again," she said, reaching out her hand to draw him back. "I'm back. I'm not going anywhere. And we've got a lot to do still."

"Indeed," he said, and he fell back into silence. He collapsed into his chair besides where she lay, and let her take his hand.

In the morning, the doctors found them still in this position, both asleep.

Ooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

Author's Notes: With how the last chapter ended, I didn't want to go too long between updates. Let me know what you think. ;)

Translations:

_Tutafanya nini, kaka_?: What will we do, brother?

_Madaktari: The doctors_

_Hakuna: nothing._

_Waganga: traditional healers._

_Mgeni: outsider_

_Bwana: sir/term of respect_

Lake Nyanza: Lake Victoria...it had a name (actually lots of local names, depending on tribe and language) before the British explorers named it in honor of Queen Victoria. I use the Kiswahili name.


	27. Chapter 27:Human

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Human**

* * *

Loki woke to the light rattle of dishes on a tray and the scent of beans and maize drenched in palm oil. A healer in a sky blue dress and matching head scarf gave him a polite nod, motioned towards the tray, and vanished back into the hallway. He stretched and hid his yawn behind his hand, which he found still marred with dirt, much to his dismay. His neck protested the night spent upright in a chair and he gave a light groan as he rolled his head around to activate the sore muscles.

The clatter of a spoon against the floor turned his attention to the grey blanket on the bed where an identical tray of food sat, now minus a spoon.

"Oops," Jane said with a slight shrug. She peered over the side of the bed to where it lay on the floor. Loki reached across the bed to hand her his spoon and she answered the gesture with a smile.

"Thanks! I'm starved," Jane said between bites. "I guess all that sleeping made me hungry. Are you going to eat?"

"I am not hungry," he responded and placed the woven basket cover over his plate. Jane gave him a curious look and paused her spoon in midair.

"Yes, you are," she said. "You _are_ hungry, but you are choosing not to eat. Why?"

Loki met her gaze and cocked an eyebrow.

"Fine, fine," Jane said dismissively. "Never mind." She resumed eating and when her plate was empty, she pointed towards his. "If you aren't going to eat it, may I?"

"As you wish," he said and exchanged trays with her. She gave a happy sigh and cleared his breakfast in addition to her own. She closed her eyes and smiled upon completion of her conquest. Her eyes flew open again with the loud bang of the door and the entrance of Shuri. Shuri crossed the room in two strides, flung herself onto Jane, and wrapped her thin arms around Jane's shoulders. Shuri pulled back slightly to peer at Jane's surprised face, and then pulled her back into another embrace, burying her braids against Jane's shoulder.

"Hi," Jane said with a soft laugh.

"_Wewe_! I do not know whether to yell at you, hug you again, or run tests on you!" Shuri said as she pulled back and scooted onto a nearby stool.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Shuri," Jane said with a shrug and reddened cheeks.

Shuri clicked her tongue and ran her hand through Jane's hair. Her fingers pulled apart the thick white stripe and she held it aloft for examination. "Eee! Eee! Eee! This part of your hair is as white as an egret's feathers. Jane, what have you done? Tell me, you are no longer dead and so I count that an improvement, but how are you feeling?"

"Better now that I've slept and eaten, but still kinda weird. It's like my everything is in overdrive and I'm not quite sure what to make of it," Jane said, her bright blue eyes staring at her hands as if seeing them for the first time.

"The night nurse said she broke three needles on you when she tried to take blood samples on you," Shuri said as she ran one finger over where Jane was examining her hands. "Only a vibranium needle could penetrate your skin."

Jane pulled her arm back and hid it under her blanket with a self-conscious shrug. "Yeah, I kinda remember that. I was a little sleepy and out if it then. Sorry about all that, you know, the scare I gave you all."

Shuri gave a half smile and leaned her elbows against Jane's bed. "It is all ok now. As I said, you are no longer dead. I do not think I would be so quick to forgive you otherwise."

"I'll remember that," Jane said with a slight smile.

A tinkle of a bell and a corresponding "meow" outside the door informed them of the presence of another visitor. Loki rose from his chair to open the door for the flerkin, who marched into the room with all the imperious grace of a little emperor. It rubbed its head against Loki's ankles, used Shuri's lap as a step stone and jumped onto Jane's legs. Its green eyes peered deeply into Jane's so intently that its soft nose nearly met her own. It stayed in a motionless alert only broken by the twitch of a solitary whisker.

"Ummm, hi Goose," Jane said and sank back into her pillow. Her movement away from the flerkin only gave more space for it to encroach further. Loki stood and came closer, uncertainty forcing him to stand nearby in case the flerkin did not like what it discovered. His protective stance proved unnecessary as the flerkin closed the rest of the distance, licked Jane's nose, and flopped onto its side against Jane's arm.

"That's weird," Jane said, her eyes fixated on the orange and yellow pile of fur now licking its toes beside her.

"_Nini_?" Shuri asked. She reached out a hand to stroke the flerkin's fur and was rewarded with a rough tongue licking her fingers and one eye opened to turn on her.

"I can feel it," Jane said, now turning to face Loki. "The flerkin. It…how do I put it? It's so strong. And old. And so much, I don't know, bigger. Ugh, those aren't the right words," she said with a frustrated sigh.

"It will suffice. You were not able to sense it before?" Loki asked.

"No. Before, it seemed like a cat. Now, I can see why you so clearly knew it was a flerkin. Something about it radiates out of it in waves," Jane said, holding her hand above Goose as if she could feel steam rising from the orange stripes. "I can't explain any of this. I can feel you both, too. And the doctors and nurses who have come in. Even with my eyes closed, I can tell how many people are in the room. I can tell the difference between you and Prince T'Challa and the others. You both feel different. Not that you are the same, but you are not like they are. And Goose, here, is something entirely distinct."

Jane's eyes grew distant again and small lines appeared on her forehead as she tried to find words she had never sought to use before. She focused on Shuri and Loki again with a shake of her head.

"I can't explain it further," she said. "I'll need to think about it more."

"Dr. Okapi said the results of the tests they performed yesterday should be available by this afternoon. We should know more then," Shuri said, obviously struggling to reign in her curiosity.

"I don't know if I want to know," Jane said. "I mean, what if I never go back to normal? What if I'm stuck with eyes that aren't my own and with freakishly thick skin that also isn't me?" She let out a long breath and shook her head. "Sorry. I know, it's not the time to worry."

"All will be well, Dr. Foster," Loki said with a slight nod of his head and what he hoped would be a reassuring smile. Instead of appearing reassured, she razed him with a scathing glare.

"You don't even believe that," she said. "You are worrying even more than I am."

He turned to face the door, placing his back to the bed and did not answer. He did not wish to dwell on it further or discuss it.

ooooooooo

* * *

T'Chaka and T'Challa joined Dr. Okapi in his office late in the afternoon. The doctor sat at a glass and metallic desk, a series of charts projected in the center. The orange and black of his lab coat matched the projection before him and a slight orange glow from the charts reflected onto his coffee-colored cheeks. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and welcomed his sovereigns with a solemn greeting.

"Thank you for joining me here, my king, my prince," he said as both men sat in the plush chairs on either corner of the desk.

"_Daktari,_ you have our thanks. I am afraid our _mgeni_ has made your work more complicated since his arrival," T'Chaka said.

Dr. Okapi nodded his head and folded his arms across his desk. "_Ni kweli, mfalme wangu_. I have received more extraordinary cases since the arrival of the _mgeni_ than I have in all my career till now. I cannot say I have not found these challenges fascinating, but I have found very few similar cases in our records to assist me in further developing treatments."

"Your team has completed the initial tests on Dr. Foster?" T'Challa asked, his dark eyes bright with earnest concern.

"_Indio, bwana._ I shared the results with Dr. Foster, Shuri, and the _mgeni _about an hour ago. She gave permission to share our findings with you as well."

Dr. Okapi pulled his chair closer to his desk and tapped at a screen. A series of multi-colored scans appeared. Dr. Okapi's hand held a small laser pointer and he let the small prick of light flutter between screens to test it. He cleared his throat and sat up straighter.

"I've never seen anything like it," Dr. Okapi he began. "First of all, the patient was dead. We could not measure any brain activity, pulse, or heart rate. For approximately seventeen and a quarter hours, she was declared dead. Rigor mortis had set in. Then, for no apparent reason and without any warning, the patient woke up.

"Now, her body is not just alive and fully repaired, it is…_ninasemaje_? How do I say it? The patient, she is changed. Her metabolism has increased, along with her brain activity. Her body is showing an elevated speed of healing and her skin is nearly impervious to penetration. In addition, the energy readings coming from her body are like nothing we have ever seen except from those of a newly emerged Black Panther after Rebirth occurs."

"She will remain alive?" T'Challa asked.

"_Indio_. It appears she will be even healthier than before, if her rate of healing remains as it currently is."

T'Challa gave a sigh of relief. "What must happen next?"

"We continue running tests. The best that we can tell, when she destroyed the _jiwe la mgeni_, what he called the 'Mind Stone,' a massive amount of energy was released and, _kati kati,_ her body absorbed it like a sponge. The amount of power she channeled through her body should have killed her…it did kill her…but it also has become part of her."

T'Challa gave a heavy sigh and stared at the scans Dr. Okapi projected before him.

"Her eyes?" he asked, pointing at a scan of her bright blue irises.

"They see better now than an average human-significantly better. Her eyesight may even rival yours."

"As interesting as that is, I am not wondering about their capacity as much as what they represent. Why are they blue? Is her mind still under the control of another entity?" he asked.

"We do not know the cause. It could be a reflection of the energy absorbed from the _jiwe_. It could be a remnant from her time under the mental enthrallment of the stone. It may fade, it made remain. Who can tell?

"As far as we have found, she is owner of her own mind. She can answer personal questions, share recent memories, and refuse to follow basic instructions with admirable stubbornness. She is behaving as expected according to her personality. She is not capable of exerting control over the minds of others, but she is, what I would call, enhanced. Her memory skills, her mind, her capacity to notice stimuli, her basic perceptions of the moods and motivations of those around her are all noticeably improved. We are still testing what all this means."

"_Unasema nini_?" T'Chaka asked, his wrinkled brow furrowed deep in consideration. "What are your conclusions?"

"_Nasema,_ she's alive, but she is not the same as she was and we do not know what the long term implications will be for her."

"What of the other? The _mzee_ the _mgeni _brought to us?" T'Chaka asked.

"The treatment of James Barnes continues with positive results. If not for the unforeseen circumstances with Dr. Foster, my team would have woken him already. Within a few days, we plan his initial reentry to consciousness and corresponding neural imaging tests."

"_Asante, daktari_," T'Chaka said after another half hour of questions. He and his son stood to leave the doctor to his tasks and took the opportunity to look in on Dr. Foster for themselves.

They found her alone in her room. She sat on the edge of her hospital bed, freshly bathed and clothed in a purple robe and linen trousers. Her cheeks glowed with fresh color and her feet twitched with nervous energy. She jumped down from the edge of her bed and paced back and forth across the small room.

"Dr. Foster, you are much improved," T'Challa said after greeting her and resuming his position on his bench.

"Yeah, I'm doing great. A little stir crazy and ready to get out of here, but I hear I'm not allowed to leave yet," she said with a frown.

"I cannot speak to that," T'Challa answered with a chuckle. "However, it is good to see you moving around and out of your bed. Tell me, where are your companions? I have not found you left to yourself since you first decided to make our medical center your home."

"Loki needed a bath-_badly._ Shuri sent him away. It took quite a few threats but she finally managed it. Then Shuri went to get me some of our lab work so I can at least keep myself occupied while I'm stuck here. She should be back anytime. She promised me some coffee too. I'm _really_ looking forward to that," Jane said with a wide grin.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Sister, you prowl around like a leopard in a cage! You are too too bored!" T'Challa said as he watched her pacing. He gave his father a questioning expression and T'Chaka nodded. "Come, let us walk through the gardens together. Accompanied by the king and the prince, I do not think the doctors will stop you from walking in the sunshine."

Jane's entire face lit up and she nearly bounced onto her toes as she turned towards them. "That would be amazing!"

T'Chaka made a quick call to Dr. Okapi on his kimoyo beads and, as he expected, received sanctioned permission to escort the patient to the gardens. It took all Jane's strength not to sprint away from her companions into the garden. As they left the tall walls of the medical center behind and encased themselves in foliage instead of medical equipment, Jane paused to close her eyes and turn in a circle with her arms outstretched. She did not try to hide her grin. Slowly, she opened her eyes again and inhaled deeply.

The late afternoon sun poured through the thick fanned leaves of the banana trees along the path from the medical center into the gardens. The moisture-soaked air carried the scent of the yellow _tunguja_ flowers trailing up the trellis on the wall.

Her attention was pulled away to a nearby orchid. She knelt onto the ground and ran her fingers lightly over the leaves and soft lavender petals. Then she buried her hands into the red earth around the roots, emerging with orange-stained fingertips. She brushed off her hands and stood upright again.

"I can feel them," she said in a whisper to her watchful, but silent, companions. "Anywhere there is life, I can feel it. It's like I can sense how they are held together. And I can see in as much detail as if I were using a microscope."

She crossed her arms over her chest, momentarily overcome with emotion, and rubbed her dirt-stained fingers up and down the purple cloth covering her arms.

"Am I still human?" she asked, facing her companions again. "At what point does one cease being considered human and become something else-something _other_?"

The king and the prince gave each other a glance and T'Challa recognized the expression his father gave him. He cleared his throat.

"Am _I _still human?" T'Challa asked. "It is true. I have been changed and am no longer the same as the people around me. My senses are heightened, my abilities enhanced, but does that exclude me from humanity? In my heart, I am still who I was before."

Jane gave him a nod and a tight-lipped smile that showed she understood his point. Still, she turned away. "You are speaking the truth."

T'Challa nodded his head.

"King T'Chaka, why did you give Loki asylum here?" Jane asked, jarring them with her sudden change of subject. "We were talking about that earlier today and, while he believed the reason you gave him, I could tell that it was not the real reason. Please, I won't tell him. I just want to know."

The king shuffled closer to where Jane stood, her arms still tight across her chest. "Why do you not believe the reason he gave you?" he asked.

"I can't explain it. It's another one of those 'things' that Dr. Okapi likes to list that are different now. When people are talking, I just get a sense about when they are telling the truth or when it's partial truth or when they are lying. I can't read minds. Some of the nurses tried some exercises on that just to test me-though they told me it was something else. I could tell they weren't telling me the truth about that. In the same way that I can tell there are fourteen ants crawling up that orchid there, I can also tell if what you tell me corresponds with reality or not."

"Have you discussed this with Dr. Okapi?" T'Challa asked.

"A little. There seemed like too many other things we needed to test me in first and this one is really nebulous and hard to explain. Still, it bothers me when I don't know the real answers to things and I want to figure it all out."

T'Chaka sighed and turned away to face the garden instead of the piercing, intelligent eyes of the astrophysicist. "No, Dr. Foster. I did not agree to host Prince Loki in Asgard for the reasons I told him. I agreed because his father came and interceded on his behalf," T'Chaka said in a low voice.

"Odin came here?"

"Yes. He has come multiple times. He wishes to check in on his son, inquire as to his welfare, assist him in his tasks, and ensure he is well-protected."

"What! I thought Odin was angry with Loki and didn't want to have anything to do with him?"

"It is possible that is the impression that the Asgardian Prince has-one forged out of his own guilt, faulty memories, and past wounds- but the All-Father I have met deeply cares for his son. He swore me to secrecy and does not wish to have Prince Loki know of his involvement in his affairs. The All-Father has been deeply invested in the affairs of Prince Loki since his arrival on Earth."

"What has he done?" Jane asked in earnest curiosity.

"Many things. Besides petitioning for his release from prison and asylum in Wakanda, he also sent the communication transmitter for Prince Loki. He has travelled the world helping to replace Prince Loki's leaders during times that the prince has been incapacitated or overwhelmed with his tasks. He also commanded the flerkin to stand guard over his son and ensure his well-being during his tenure here with us."

"Wow!" Jane said, her eyes wide.

"I do not think the prince suspects. Please preserve this secret, along with so many others that you harbor," the king said. "Tell me, Dr. Foster, do I speak truth?"

"Yeah. You do. I can tell. Still, it's a lot. Of course, I'll keep it all secret. But you don't think Loki should know?"

"It is not my decision to make and I ask you to leave it in the hands of his father to reveal his involvement."

"Of course," Jane said.

"Now, come. You have taken in fresh air and the last of the day's sun. Let us return you to your doctors before we tire you," T'Chaka said and turned back up the path they had wandered on.

Jane and T'Challa followed his lead and matched his slow footsteps with their own.

"King T'Chaka," Jane said with slight hesitation.

"Speak," he answered.

"Don't take this the wrong way-but that was not fully true…what is the real reason you want us to go back now?" Jane said.

T'Chaka chuckled and clicked his tongue. "There will be no keeping secrets from this one. It is not so great a secret this time. I have a meeting in twenty minutes with the General," he said. "Will that satisfy you in your quest for truth, Dr. Foster?"

Jane laughed. "Yeah, it does."

"Dr. Foster, how has the prince handled this newly gained measuring gauge for truth you have acquired?" T'Challa asked.

"Ummm, we haven't really talked about it in-depth yet. I'm not quite sure that's going to go well," she said.

"Mmmmm," T'Challa said, raising both his eyebrows and stifling his grin.

oooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's note: Here's my logic-Captain Marvel was created by exposure to the Tesseract. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were created by experimentations with the scepter upon themselves. Thus, exposure to Infinity Gems, in certain conditions, can change people and give abilities. The Tesseract gave Captain Marvel the ability to fly through space (among other things). The scepter enhanced abilities the Maximoffs already had (or maybe I'm overthinking it? You can tell me what you think.). However, following that logic, during the destruction of the Mind Stone, the exposure to its power has enhanced certain abilities already inherent within Jane (among other things). We'll have more exploring this in future chapters._

* * *

_Translations: _

_Mgeni: visitor/stranger/outsider_

_Wewe: you_

_Nini: what?_

_Daktari: doctor_

_Ni kweli, mfalme wangu: It's true, my king_

_Bwana: sir_

_Indio: yes_

_jiwe la mgeni: stone belonging to the stranger_

_Unasema nini: what are you saying?_

_Nasema: I am saying_

_Mzee: old man, elderly person_

_Asante: Thanks_


	28. Chapter 28: Truth

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

Chapter 28: Truth

* * *

Jane entered the lab and took off her raincoat. She wiped the trickles of rain water off her brow and smoothed the damp hair of her ponytail. Then she spun in a circle, arms outstretched, silly grin on her face. She tripped on a pile of mechanical detritus that lay on the floor near Shuri and caught herself on Shuri's arm before she stumbled into the lab table in front of her. She kicked at a metal tube with her foot and it spun across the room in a clamor. Jane met Shuri's eyes and broke into a smile again.

"Happy to be back in the lab?" Shuri asked. She bent to pick up the failed circuit board before anyone else could trip over it or kick it.

"Ecstatic," Jane replied and her hazel eyes glistened with her happiness. She placed a heavy knapsack onto a multi-colored counter with a loud thump and turned to take in the room again. "If Dr. Okapi threatened to keep me in that hospital room one more day, I might have spontaneously combusted."

"I would not be surprised if you actually could," Shuri replied with one eye brow raised. "Do you want to see the progress I've made?"

"Of course!" Jane said. She pulled out her notebooks from her knapsack and drug a metal stool loudly over the tile floor to sit beside the princess.

A few hours later, they were interrupted by the stealthy entrance of an Asgardian prince. While Shuri gave a light jump, Jane only smirked.

"You are gonna have to try harder than that," Jane said without looking up from her work. "I can hear you approach from a floor away now."

"A worthy challenge, Lady Jane. Would you care to place a wager on it?" he replied as he pulled up a third stool to the gleaming steel counter.

"Absolutely not. _Shuri,_ don't you dare," Jane hissed over her shoulder. Shuri cocked her head to one side and covered her dimples with her free hand.

"What have the most brilliant minds of Midgard discovered today?" Loki asked.

"Do not ask that," Shuri said as her smile turned into a scowl. "Or you will put Jane back into a temper. She nearly broke my counter an hour ago."

"My, my-turning violent, are we?" Loki asked, bemused. Jane flushed and dropped her eyes to where Loki now noticed a dent in the metal face of the counter.

"I didn't mean to. I'm still not used to all this…," Jane said, trailing off and using her hands to motion to her body with a sigh.

"Please explain-what did the counter do to raise such ire?" Loki asked. Jane flushed and refused to answer so Shuri volunteered for her.

"It was the unfortunate bystander when Jane realized her previous calculations on the bifrost will not work," Shuri said. "Her superpowered brain informed her that she needs to start over again and her superpowered fist then responded by nearly putting a hole through solid steel."

Jane gave a huff and crossed her arms across her chest. "I've spent months on this and it's all wrong. I don't know how to fix it. I can just tell it isn't right and I have to start over again. I think I may have preferred ignorance….ugh! I can't even pretend to myself without my insides feeling itchy. I _don't _actually prefer ignorance. That's not how I'm wired…I'm just _really_ frustrated."

"I have told her again and again that it is better to not waste her efforts on something she knows will not work but she is too too stubborn," Shuri said. Jane flinched away when Shuri tried to place a hand on her shoulder.

"I broke my bathroom door this morning and tore through two pairs of jeans when I tried to get dressed," Jane said. She hunched her shoulders with her confession and grew somber. "I had to wake up three times in the night to go find more food and I can feel the presence of every person in this lab as if with my very bones. Then when I try to talk to people, it's like I can feel inside them. I can feel their perceptions of truth and how it matches up with reality. It paints everything around me in such complicated, multivalent colors and layers.

"It's just-I don't know what to do with all that. I had hoped that being in the lab would help me feel a little more, you know, normal. A little more like myself. But even here it's all different. I can't just go back to how things were." Jane sighed again and leaned against the counter, her hands supporting her weight. She stared past her audience to the door behind them, lost in her own thoughts, carrying a burden previously unknown by her small shoulders.

"What kind of life will I have now?" she continued, her voice dropping into nearly a whisper. "I had a pretty set path before and it may have been unconventional and pretty mundane, but it was mine and I liked it. Do research, possibly get a teaching position at a university, or simply get enough grants to keep me doing research forever. It may not sound exciting, but I loved it. Now the doctors don't know if I will even age and I can lift a rhinoceros with one hand. I feel like my whole life and sense of identity has been thrown into a blender and I don't know what to do with it."

"I would pay you to lift a rhinoceros for a second time just to see the expression on W'Kabi's face again," Shuri said with a grin. She tilted her head to the side and caused her rows of short sienna and ochre twists to dance around her face as she did.

"Not helping, Shuri," Jane said, fighting against the twist of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Shuri shrugged and tapped her fingers on the metal counter.

"Say it, Shuri. Don't hold back."

Shuri shook her head slightly. "Do you think you are the only cheetah to have spots? Jane, how many people in New York or Paris or Beijing are feeling like their lives and sense of identity have been turned upside down?"

"Great. Thanks, Shuri. Way to make me feel like a jerk," Jane replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You told me to speak, _daktari_! Now, close your mouth so I may speak," Shuri said. "You are still alive! You have received a gift_. Ni kweli,_ the gift may have a cost, but it is still a gift. I know, I know, you must walk this path and bury the old Jane in barkcloth before you can move on as the new Jane. And maybe I am too too selfish, but I am too happy that you are still alive to worry about all the rest."

Jane closed her eyes with a visible effort and pursed her lips. Her pale yellow blouse warred with the vibrant reds, blues, yellows, and oranges of the colorful decorative panels behind the counter, as if she were the lone female weaver bird flanked by scarlet macaws.

"Lady Jane," Loki began as he walked closer to where she stood. "All my life I believed myself of Asgard, of the House of Odin, blood kin to the royal family. Then one day I discovered it all a lie. I was born not to the golden spires of the Realm Eternal but on the barren ice of Jotunheim…," and Loki paused a moment too long because Jane's eyes flew open with a cobalt glow and she interrupted him before he could continue.

"No. You weren't," she replied. "I don't even know what Jotunheim is, but I do know you were not born there."

Loki spluttered and he pulled himself taller in a flash of anger. "How dare you question me? What do you know of it?"

"I dunno, Loki. Really. It's one of those things that's different now. I can tell that you believe that statement to be true, but I can also tell that it doesn't actually correspond with reality," Jane responded with a tone of resignation. She dropped her eyes to stare at the dented metal of the counter and ran her fingers over the twisted shape.

"Then, Lady Jane, if you claim to be privy to such information, where, pray tell, was I born?"

"How am I supposed to know that?" she said. She met his eyes this time and stood tall in her own irritation. "I can't read minds or tell futures or something. It's not like I'm a Magic 8 ball."

"Pardon?"

"A Magic 8 ball-oh, yeah. Ok, it's a children's toy. It has a bunch of answers inside of it that it randomly pulls up when you turn it over. So, you ask it a question and then look at it to tell you the answer."

"A tool for divination?" he responded, anger now replaced with thoughtfulness.

"I guess? I don't know. I'm a scientist. I don't believe in divination or all that superstitious stuff."

Shuri failed to restrain her chuckle. She motioned towards Loki. "So the scientist says to the Norse God of Chaos who happens to be adept with magic."

Jane rolled her eyes which only encouraged Shuri's mirth. Loki ignored them both and pulled a stool up beside Jane, his hands crossed on his legs and his green cape pooling down his back behind him.

"I wonder if it would work the same way?" he asked more to himself than to either of his companions. He addressed Jane again with a half-smile. "Jane, do I eat rabbit?"

"I don't know. Do you? I don't think I've ever eaten a rabbit. It seems kinda wrong since, you know, they are all cute and fluffy and all."

Loki threw up his arms in exasperation. "You are missing my point. Jane, I hate wearing green."

"You sure wear it a lot for not liking it."

"You are supposed to tell me if that statement is true or false," he replied.

"Oh, I see. Magic 8 ball. Fine," she said and stared at him for a moment. "That statement is both true and false simultaneously."

He gave a self-satisfied smirk. "That was intended to be an easy 'false'. Your gift is faulty."

"Is it?"

"Of course. I was raised a Prince of Asgard. My color represents my station, my house, my status. It's a symbol of who I am and the roles I play."

"And you both hate and love who you are and the roles you have to play," she said. "Therefore, you both love and hate wearing green."

He sat dumbfounded before he abruptly rose from the stool and turned to leave. "I do not wish to discuss anything further today," he called over his shoulder, failing to turn his head to meet their eyes.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

* * *

It took five days before Loki ventured back into the lab, or anywhere near Jane Foster, again. He told himself it was due to his long neglected duties to the other Midgardian polities. With the disruption of the mindspell that accompanied the destruction of the scepter, he no longer could be assured of the single-minded loyalty of his minions. It would take time to truly assess the extent of the damage, his five days of travel gave a slight litmus test of where he would need to spend more time in future.

As suspected, Alexander Pierce, once free of the mindspell, poured out his secrets like wine from a broken cask and it would take an extended time to clean up the damage. Twenty operatives mysteriously vanished from Moldova, Bolivia, and Nepal. Another fifty or so he would need to replace as soon as possible.

The Kree transponder, however, proved effective. His contact reached, the request made, now he would have to wait and hope his contact proved both trustworthy and well-connected (despite the niggling sense that his contact might only prove to be one or the other).

Loki returned to Birnin Zana with a flurry of plots swirling through his brain, distracting him from the light footfalls of the flerkin that kept pace behind him as he walked. He rubbed his temples with his hands, his mind somewhere in between Alfheim and São Paulo, when realized he had another scheme to check on.

He made his way straight to the office of Dr. Okapi to inquire as to the progress of his pet soldier. The middle-aged doctor sat in front of a screen, speaking rapidly in French to someone projected on the other side. Dr. Okapi silently motioned for him to take a chair. He continued to speak at some length on the latest experimental treatments of cerebral malaria before scheduling another meeting for the same time the following month.

As the projection vanished, Dr. Okapi turned to Loki, his peppered beard resting against his hands.

"Prince Loki," he said and nodded slightly.

"Dr. Okapi," Loki replied with a half-smile. "How is he?"

"Nearly conscious, but not quite coherent," Dr. Okapi replied. "Come."

Loki followed the doctor into the lab that housed the Winter Soldier. Now released from the cryogenic freeze, he lay with his eyes closed on a slightly elevated bed strung between a series of wires and tubes protruded from all parts of him. A steady rise and fall of his chest, assisted by a tube through his throat, proved the only movement. The dark hair on his chin and his head fell longer over his shoulders now than the last he had seen.

"As you can see, we have reprogrammed nearly all of his neural pathways. Maybe another week or so, we will be complete. Already he has woken up and we have been forced to sedate him so he cannot remove the IVs again," Dr. Okapi said.

"I wish to be present when he wakes," Loki said in a tone he hoped would dispel any arguments. The doctor only nodded.

ooooooooooooooooo

* * *

A few hours later, Loki wandered through the palace and decided to peruse the royal archives for any records of past dealings with Asgard. The library of the palace of Birnin Zana had an extensive collection of recorded oral records as well as literature, art, and rare manuscripts from around Midgard that spanned millennia. The vaulted ceiling of the room was painted with a kaleidoscope of geometric shapes and colors and the tall, triangular windows painted patterns of light across the tiled floor.

When Loki entered, he found the library empty save for one Jane Foster curled up on a window seat with a book and a cup of coffee in her hand. Her eyes were closed and she leaned back against the window, in a pose of perfect repose. He stood in the doorway just to watch her for a moment.

She looked so peaceful, serene, unruffled. He could not let her remain so. He momentarily suspended his chosen errand and instead he quietly made his way through the shadows towards her. He stopped at a nearby bookshelf, eyed the book carefully, then slowly placed one finger on its hard spine. He pushed so it fell onto the tile floor below, shattering the silence of the entire room with the sound of its fall. Jane jumped at the sound and spilled her coffee down her clean, white shirt. She swore under her breath and swung her head around to find the source of the noise. Not seeing anyone, she mopped up the spill and called out.

"Hello? I can hear your footsteps. Who are you?"

Loki waited till she relaxed again and turned her attention back to her book. He repeated and pushed another book off a shelf. This time, she jumped to her feet to look around her. She could not find him as he hid behind a bookshelf. He let another book fall.

"Ok. That's kinda creepy. Who is that?" she said. She explored the rows of books, seeking her invisible visitor while Loki remained hidden and motionless. She gave a very loud and very satisfying scream when he pushed a book through directly next to her head. With one hand he covered her mouth and whispered in her ear.

"Scream not, Lady Jane, or the guards may hear and decide to come rescue you," he said. He released her and she fell against a bookshelf, a look of such terror on her face that he broke out into laughter.

"It's not funny. You scared me half to death," she said, now with anger in her voice. "Don't you have anything better to do than torment me?"

"No. Not really," he said. "What would you wish for me to do instead?"

"I don't know. Something that doesn't involve humiliating me or scaring me or exasperating me," she said.

"Then it would not be entertainment," he said, pulling himself to his full height so he could loom over the top of her head. He pulled another book from the shelf and it tumbled down, narrowly missing Jane's shoulder as it fell.

"Seriously?" she said. "If I ignore you, will you go away?"

"Possibly. Or that could make me try harder. I always feel compelled to answer any challenge."

"What do you want, Loki?" she said, now with resignation in her voice. She picked up the book from the floor where it had fallen and placed it back on the shelf. Then she met his gaze.

"I came to find a book but since I find you here, I have decided I will ask you questions instead," he said.

"And if I decide I don't want to play along?" she said.

"Oh, but don't you wish to know the answers to the questions I might ask?"

"No," she said and then winced. "Fine. A little. But I would rather not be made fun of in the process."

"Ah, but then you drain the sport out of the game! You fluster so deliciously well!"

"I'm not playing," she said. She resolutely left him between the bookshelves and returned to her window seat.

So, she would be melancholy and terse and refuse to rise to his bait? He could not allow it. However, he did not mind the challenge either. He followed her and sat on a chair beside her. She picked up her book and began to read, ignoring him completely, which he could not abide. He smirked slightly and began to tap his fingers on the wood of his chair arm in a rhythm he had long since perfected during his boyhood quests to annoy Thor. With just the correct amount of whistling under his breath, he predicted within two minutes, she would be exasperated once more.

One minute and forty five seconds later, he heard her sigh.

"Loki, quit it," she said.

"Quit what?"

"Whatever you are doing. Just stop."

"As you wish," he said and paused his movement (for the moment). "What are you reading?"

"A book."

"Aha! Thank you for clearing that up!" he said with an exaggerated flourish. "Now all my questions have been answered! The lady reads a book! Of all the myriad of things I thought she could be reading, now I know. She reads a book."

"Have you always been this annoying?"

"How else does the 'God of Mischief and Chaos' earn his title? I will give you a hint-it is not through reading books…except on occasion…when Thor wished me to pay heed to him and I instead planted my eyes firmly on a book in order to irritate him, much as you are attempting here." He gave her a glance and felt a slight victory in knowing he had her attention. He was determined to be the final conqueror and make sure she forgot her book entirely. "Or there was a time…I placed a spell on the head cook's cookbook and turned every entry that asked for milk into mead and every line that required butter into jam. It proved quite the feast for the delegates that came from Nidavellir."

He smirked in triumph when he saw Jane put the book down on her lap and stare at him with her curiosity piqued.

"Nidavellir?" she asked. "Is that another realm?"

"Indeed. It is the realm where the dwarves dwell."

"Dwarves? Like the short, little people?"

"The Mountain dwarves, yes. They would barely reach your waist. The Moon dwarves, no. They rival the height of the elephants in Wakanda."

"Tall dwarves? I didn't know there was such a thing. I mean, to be fair, I didn't know dwarves really were a thing at all. Have you been there? To Nidavellir, I mean?" she asked.

"Of course. They are the finest metal workers and arms forgers in all the Nine. I have traveled there many times for diplomatic relations, trade deals, and official functions-oh, and the one occasion when I had to prevent all Nidavellir from declaring war against Thor and demanding his head on a pike."

"What happened?" Jane said. She placed her book down on the window seat and leaned towards him in rapt attention.

"Oh, I'm sure that tale has little that would interest you. Return to your book, Lady Jane. You have my apologies for intruding on your solitude," he said and he watched in glee as she started and glared at him.

"Oh, no. You are not going to say something like that and not tell me the story. Come on!" she pleaded.

"Hmmm. Perhaps…on condition you answer my questions after."

"Fine."

He grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Once many, many years past, Asgard received a delegation from Nidavellir for a treaty negotiation. When the treaty was successfully signed, great revels were held in Asgard. During the feast, the dwarves toasted to the glory of their queens, which no Aesir has ever laid eyes upon. Many questions were asked about the queens.

"Thor, deep into his cups, boasted in a drunken rant that he would take a dwarven queen as wife.

'Aesir cannot manage a dwarven queen,' the dwarves said, much offended by his declaration.

"Thor took this as an accusation against his virility and a dare to accomplish it. He boasted he would storm Nidavellir the next day to take one of their queens. To the dwarves, this was, in essence, a declaration of war. It took three months of negotiations to prevent a full-scale war and convince the delegation it was only a jest, and a poor one at that. I thought the All-Mother would have all the hairs on her head turn grey in the aftermath of Thor's arrogance that night."

"Why was that such a problem? I mean, if he was only boasting…." She said.

"Ah, it he were only boasting, it could have been remedied easier. Thor was stopped by the All-Father himself on his way to the bifrost as he sought to capture one of their queens that night."

Jane grew thoughtful for a moment before a question played across her face.

"Loki, do you miss your brother," she asked.

"Of course not. Insufferable idiot," he replied with feigned nonchalance.

She raised one eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest. He sighed.

"Fine. Desperately and utterly," he said.

"That's better," she said.

"I would argue otherwise."

"That's ok. You like arguing."

"I most certainly do not."

"Liar."

"You finally understand me," he replied with a smirk.

She threw her head back and laughed. She played with the cover of her book again and Loki was about to interrupt her thoughts with the line of questions he had for her, when she spoke again.

"So why haven't any of the Aesir seen the dwarf queens?" she asked. "What about their kings?"

"They do not have kings, not in the sense you mean. Each clan of dwarves appoints its smallest drone as primary leader and spokesperson for the clan. Over all the clans, there is a council of elders made up of all the oldest leaders from all the clans of both the Mountain and Moon dwarves and these make decisions for their realm. The queen, while playing a very limited role in the actual decision-making politics of her clan, is still the symbolic leader and her veto outweighs that of their leader, if she chose to use it."

She shook her head slightly as she considered this and warred with which of the myriad of questions she wished to ask next.

"What's a drone?" she finally chose. "And why is the smallest made the leader?"

"Ah, well to answer that I first must explain that all dwarves are born biologically male…," Loki began. Jane gasped and tried to interrupt him with another question. He stopped her with a glare and an imperious wave of his hand.

"As I was saying, all dwarf litters are born biologically male, and all are also born as drones. If, at a mature stage in life, they are allowed to make contact with the queen for an extended period of time, their bodies may become sexually mature and they become what is termed a 'patriarch.' They grow slightly larger and will have a much shorter life span than their drone brothers. The smallest drones are chosen as leaders because it is unlikely they will ever become patriarchs and so they will not be prevented from single-minded leadership during their much longer lifespans."

"Then…wait…you mean there are no biological females except the queens?" Jane asked.

"You are correct. Each dwarf clan lives in colonies of up to two thousand and each has one queen and that is the only biological female in each clan."

"So if they are all born male, where does the queen come from?"

"When one queen dies, the largest of her patriarchs begins to grow even larger and fatter. He loses his beard, his mammary glands mature, and once he is in heat, he is declared a 'she' and made the new queen. They have an official coronation ceremony and her first patriarchs are chosen. She gathers a new set of patriarchs around her every ten years or so, once her old batch has passed away and there is a break in the reproductive cycle for the next age set of dwarf litters."

"Litters…you mean?"

"Typically dwarf queens give birth to between eight and twelve young at a time and they produce a new litter every year. After fifty years or so, dwarf queens typically die off and a new queen rises to prominence."

"Wait-doesn't that mean the queen is related to all her patriarchs?"

"Not necessarily. The drones can live up to five hundred years if they never become elevated to the honored role of patriarchs. The lifespan of the queens compared to that of the patriarchs is such that it provides enough genetic diversity to prevent incest."

"That is really weird," Jane said and gave an incredulous half-smile.

"Oh, I haven't even told you about Muspelheim yet…," Loki said in a teasing tone and winked at her. "There, the Fire Giants lay eggs."

"What!?" Jane gasped.

"I speak truth! I, myself, have two nephews from a daughter of Muspel. I was present at their hatching."

"Ok. That's crazy…hold up here. Nephews? From your brother? Are you telling me Thor has children?"

"Of course. Though these particular ones were his bastard sons by a maid he never wed. The All-Father was not pleased, of course. Thor nearly caused a war with Alfheim with his shameless flaunting of the proper order of things."

"Is this a theme in your stories about Thor?"

Loki pursed his lips as if in deep concentration. "Hmmm….Thor does something reckless…nearly starts a war….and his younger brother must come to the rescue? Why, yes. You would be correct."

"Fine. So, what happened with Alfheim and Thor's children?"

"Ah, yes. That was early on in the dawn of our manhood. Thor's wife, at the time, was a Light Elf maid from Alfheim. And while she could not bear Thor children, the Light Elves have a high value for fidelity to one's mate, even without a mate bond. It was a deep, grievous shame upon the Princess Nana to be so embarrassed by her husband's antics with another woman. Her brothers declared they would defend her honor and it took the extensive efforts of both the kind-hearted Nana and my silver tongue to prevent a full-scale war to break out between realms.

"Thor found humor in the entire situation, much to the exasperation of the All-Father and All-Mother. His hatchlings stayed in Asgard for a time when they came to adulthood and could bear the differing climate."

"And his sons couldn't be made to be legitimate?"

"No. It is a great shame for a warrior to bear children with a maid he has not bested in battle. It is only cold-hearted curs, the worst of cowards, who would not formally display their prowess in battle and their capacity to protect their wife by defeating her in the formal battle ring before all Asgard. If a man does not undergo the ritual Harvest Season Battles for a maid, even one hailing from another realm, Asgard will assume it is because the maid did not wish to share her bed with him and so her honor must be avenged. While the other realms may not understand the importance of the Harvest Season and so do not follow our customs, it is a great dishonor for the children of such unions to come to Asgard-and it bodes ill for the warrior.

"Thor excused himself by saying his Fire Giant lover had bested him in battle and had taken him as husband, according to their custom. Of course, this was absurd as that is not the custom on Muspelheim, and was only a flimsy excuse to explain away his curiosity. It is not often an Aesir or Vanir can survive such a union unscathed. Thor sought to prove his honor and valor and his children, he said, were such proof.

"When Thor's elven wife joined her ancestors, we thought he would take Jarnsaxa as wife, but he never did. I suspect she refused him because the Fire Giants despise life on the cooler realms. The Muspel maid also proved to be of a rebellious heart, seeking her own honor through bearing the sons of the heir of the Nine. She was little interested in exchanging her position in the house of Surtur for that of Odin, but remained content in the gifts of finely crafted uru weapons Thor sent her till her sons were of age.

"The house of Nana's kin in Alfheim never quite forgave him and used any excuse to try to attack him. He avoided Alfheim ever since."

"Ummm. Wow."

Loki saw from Jane's expression that she would pummel him with follow up questions until the sun set and rose again. He decided it best to ask her his own questions so he cleared his throat at sat a little straighter in his chair.

"Now, I believe I have upheld my portion of our bargain, Lady Jane. Would you permit me to test your newfound gifts?" he said.

"Yeah. Ok," she said with a tone of resignation.

"Very well. Lady Jane, I will make a statement and you will determine if what I say aligns with truth."

She nodded her assent.

"I ate passion fruit for breakfast," Loki began.

She nodded.

"I ate eggs for breakfast."

She shook her head.

"Very good. Tomorrow I will eat eggs for breakfast." He watched her face intently as she failed to respond at first.

"I am not a fortune-teller," she answered. "How am I supposed to tell you what will happen tomorrow?"

"Interesting. I traveled to Brazil five days previous."

She slowly nodded.

"I wish to travel to New York today," he said.

She shrugged.

"What are you communicating with that motion?" he asked.

"Just what it looked like. You are ambivalent to the idea of travelling to New York today. Loki-do all these questions have a point?"

"Humor me. I was born on Alfheim," he said.

"No, you were not."

"Fine. I was born on Asgard," he said with a smirk.

"No," she said.

"I was born on Muspelheim," he said.

"Wrong again. Are you going to go through every planet you know of till I get it right?"

"Of course not," he said. "You would not live long enough for that."

"Hah, hah."

"Fine. My biological father was Laufey, King of Jotunheim," he said through a forced impassivity.

She nodded slowly.

"My biological mother was Farbauti, Queen of Jotunheim," he said in earnest now.

"No, Loki," she said.

"My mother was of Jotunheim," he pressed.

Jane shook her head. His posture immediately went rigid and he inhaled sharply.

"You are absurd. You must be misinterpreting something. Of course, if I was sired by Laufey, I was born on Jotunheim to a woman of that realm."

"Hey! Don't get upset with me!" she shot back. "If you are going to get mad at me when my answers don't correspond with your perception of reality, then I think you should stop asking questions."

Loki's mask fell and his face grew serious and incredulous. He reached toward her and took her hand in his, even as she moved farther away from him and glanced towards the door. "Stay, please," he begged. "This is vitally important."

"Why is this so important to you?" she asked.

"The Aesir tell a story. I have heard it told to me since I was a small boy. It is the tale of two brothers, womb-mates, born of an ancient king," Loki responded. "Baldur the Beautiful, they called the first, for he was all golden light, sunshine, and all that is good in the world. His twin, Hoder the Blind, they called the second, for he was all darkness, frost, and ice. The God of Light and the God of Darkness, the God of Summer and the God of Winter, both forever intertwined as the serpent that chases its own tail and sinks its teeth in to form an unbreakable circle.

"The first, he could not help but be loved by all the Aesir. The second son was viewed as a necessary evil and scorned by the Aesir. The first, he thought himself invincible, and boasted that none could pierce his flesh. The second proved him wrong. Blinded by anger, jealousy, and hurt, the second accidentally pierced him through the heart. Vengeance surely followed thereafter, ending Hoder's life as well.

"Legends say that after the sun sets on the Aesir, after _Ragnarok_-the Twilight of the Gods, Baldur and Hoder will be reborn to rule together, intertwined, and in true unity.

"Is it not fitting that Asgard's Golden Prince should be felled by the Frost Giant Prince? Pierced through the heart with what was never meant to be a weapon, compelled by dark magic that ensured the Invincible One was felled by a mortal twig. Can one ever fail to fulfill their fate? The Aesir and the Jotnar, we have always been sworn enemies, for as long as I can remember. Whether I wish it or no, I was fated to be the destruction of all that is good and the death of my brother."

"Loki…," Jane began, but she trailed off when his formerly eloquent face grew hard.

"I was born on Svartalfheim," he resumed. He released her hand and sat back in his seat again.

She sighed and shook her head.

"I was born on Midgard," he said with a dismissive eye roll.

Jane stared at him for a moment, longer than she had in answering any other question. "Loki, you were born on Midgard. How is that possible?"

His teasing expression fell and he grew an incredulous look on his face.

"You jest, milady. It is impossible."

"Why is it impossible? Didn't you say that the Frost Giants came to Earth and tried to conquer it for a bit? When was that?"

"Yes. The Great Ice War-Asgard came to Midgard's defense to save your pitiful realm from annihilation," he said. "That was about 965 of the Common Era in your reckoning."

"Loki, when were you born?"

"No, Jane, it isn't possible."

"Fine. If it's not possible, then quit asking me questions you don't want to know the answers to."

"Odin sired a daughter," he said.

She nodded. He gave a sharp intake of breath.

"And the daughter still lives," he said.

Jane nodded again.

"I believe, Lady Jane, that I will resume the task which originally brought me to this hallowed hall of learning. If you will excuse me," he said and he stood with a determined flourish. He failed to hear her parting remarks or respond in kind, so set was he upon discovering more answers.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_I am going with the MCU timeline of 965 CE-though that time frame doesn't really make sense world history-wise. It'd make more sense to bring Loki and Thor's births back by at least a thousand years. Oh well. _


	29. Chapter 29: Discoveries

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Discoveries**

* * *

Loki held the large scroll under one arm as he knocked on the door of the scholar. Goose followed closely after him and insisted on rubbing up against Loki's trousers whenever he ceased moving. He knew it was late, but he could not contain his curiosity. Njeri's servant opened the door and led him into the sitting room. She brought tea and bananas for him and told him Njeri would join him shortly.

The pepper-haired scholar came into the room a few moments later with a stifled yawn. A loose dress was pulled over her night clothes and most of her hair was still covered in a floral wrap. She gave him a warm greeting and bid him welcome. Goose, feeling itself quite at home, settled itself on Njeri's lap and went to sleep before they finished their greetings.

"I apologize for the late hour of my visit," Loki said.

"You are welcome any time," she replied. "What is it you seek me for this time? Another discussion on Midgardian economics or the political organization of Europe or the history of technological development?"

Loki shook his head. "Not this time. You provided a rich bounty of information to my previous questions, for which I am quite grateful. Tonight, I have more questions about Asgard than Midgard."

"A topic you are much more highly qualified to provide instruction on than myself," she replied with a smile.

"So I would have thought," Loki said. He produced the ancient cowhide scroll from beneath his arm and unfurled it to reveal a colorful manuscript written in old Kishenga. He began to read it aloud:

"_It was in the days of the reign of X'Tuku, Black Panther and King of Shenga that Gulu, Lord of the Sky, first came to Ntusi. He rode upon a rainbow chariot and his hair was woven from the snows of Mount Bashenga. In his hand, he carried a staff as gold as the sun and his eyes were made of the sky above. He asked many questions of X'Tuku and tested the might and vigor of the greatest warriors of the Bashenga. In exchange for a small portion of vibranium, he showered gifts of iron, weapons, and fine cloth upon the king. _

"_For many seasons, the Lord of the Sky did not return to the lands of Shenga. When he did return, Opaka, great-grandson of X'Tuku, wore the claws of the Black Panther and served as head of the great council of elders at Ntusi. He did not come alone but in his company, he brought his daughter, Walumbe, Bringer of Death. Walumbe's sorcery was so great she leveled an army with one hand and stole the soul of the strongest of warriors with a single glance. She wore plague as a garment and war followed in her shadow. The cries of the Shenga were great indeed until the footsteps of these deities tread upon other lands and left the Shenga in peace again."_

Loki showed Njeri the simple paintings etched on the hide's surface-a white-haired man surrounded by a rainbow and a black-haired woman surrounded by bones and skulls. She considered both carefully and waited for him to speak again.

"I have never heard of such a woman," Loki said at last. "But Lady Jane says she existed-that she still exists."

Loki rose from his chair and began to pace the small space between the front door and the sliding door leading to the garden. He clamped his hands behind his back and kept his eyes fixed upon the tiles beneath where his next footstep would fall.

"I do not understand how Odin could have another child and never speak of her to Thor or myself. I suppose I should not be surprised at his adeptness for keeping secrets or rewriting history, but I do not know what to make of this. I could not find any other manuscripts in the library regarding Walumbe. I found a few accounts of later visits of who they call Gulu and Kiwanuka, but no more references of the daughter. Have you come across any other tales of this Walumbe during your studies?"

Njeri shook her head. "Only that one account that you have found. However, I have read more into the reigns of the kings involved in those accounts. Best estimates are that those kings reigned sometime between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago."

"Over a thousand years before Thor and I were born," Loki remarked.

Njeri sputtered on her tea and then coughed into her hand as she composed herself again. "You are quite young still, _Mgeni,"_ she said. Loki gave her an exaggerated bow in response.

"Young enough to still live in ignorance of the most basic facts of my biology and family lineage," Loki responded darkly. "Yet old enough to know it was all a lie."

Njeri left him to his bitter reverie for some time while she stroked Goose's soft head. Then she pointed towards her hall of photographs.

"Prince Loki, have I shown you a picture of my brothers and sisters?" Njeri asked, one eyebrow raised over her caramel brow.

"Yes, once," he responded.

"Which do I most resemble?"

He paused from his pacing long enough to meet her gaze. He shook his head slowly and rose one eyebrow in question.

"It was a rhetorical question. Allow me to answer it. None. I resemble none of my siblings. My father took one wife and they produced ten children who all bear a striking resemblance to each other. All are a deep chocolate brown with thick hair and brown eyes and very similar facial features. Then there is the lastborn- I am as light as well-fried mandazi with strange golden eyes instead of dark brown. Before it turned grey, my hair was a light brown and grew in long ringlets. I never saw another in my family with hair that grew like mine."

"You do not share the same bloodline as you siblings?" Loki guessed.

"More than that. Are you familiar with the history of Kenya?"

"No."

"Let me tell you a story then. There was once a people from northern Europe, called the British, who decided they wanted to rule the world, or as much of it as they could. They saw that Kenya was beautiful and good and so they came and displaced my people, the Kikuyu. They took our land and livelihoods and left many of us impoverished and landless and unable to feed our families.

"When my people cried out and rebelled, our colonizers imprisoned hundreds of thousands of us. During our imprisonment, they did terrible things to us. Their wrath first fell on the Kikuyu freedom fighters who fought in the shelter of the forests. However, the British knew it was the Kikuyu women in the villages who brought the homemade firearms, food, and other supplies to their husbands and fathers and brothers. Thus, both men and women were punished, imprisoned, and tortured. Their blood and sacrifices bought us our freedom, but we paid for it in blood and grief and the deaths of tens of thousands.

"Our men knew their wives had suffered during their imprisonment, just as they had. It was many a man who came home after the Mau Mau rebellion ended and found their wives with a baby unmistakably sired by a Briton. Most asked no questions and raised them as their own. No one left that time unscarred and if families were to heal, it was better not to press too deeply into those tender wounds.

"I was born during the middle of 'the Emergency,' as it came to be called, and it was not until I was much older that I started asking questions. My mother and my father would never speak of it. My uncle, when drunk, insinuated that the British soldiers took my father's manhood and left me as mockery of his impotence. My grandmother only said that my mother spent time in the camps and 'it was too too bad' but would tell me nothing else. I have done enough research to be able to put the pieces together to know it is better not to ask for the details.

"My father loved me and treated me the same as his other children. I never doubted that. Still, when I figured it out, I struggled. I was angry. I wished they would speak to me of what happened and tell me the truth. But it is not our culture to talk about such things. It would be shameful to speak so openly of the wounds of the past and so I read between the lines instead.

"Eventually I realized I needed to forgive whoever my sire was and forgive his people for the shame and pain they brought on my family and my people. They did terrible things, but my people are just as capable of inflicting terrible things on others. Until I recognize that the capacity to do the worst things in the world is within me as much as within those who have hurt me, I cannot be freed of it. I need to see the worst in myself and the best in my enemy or else I will become my worst enemy to someone else. I will wound others in the same ways I have been wounded.

"When I let go of my anger and hatred, it was my own burden and poison that I released. And my own freedom I gained. My father may not be my biological father, but he was my social father and he raised me as his own and that is more important by far. He is not perfect, but he is mine, and I am glad I had him. When he died, I mourned his passing."

"But they lied to you," Loki interjected. "They made you think you were something that you weren't." He sat again and leaned forward in his chair during her tale to listen in more intently. Now he met her eyes with a fervent gaze of both curiosity and echoes of his own internal struggles.

"Yes. It helped that my family thought I was the most beautiful-I was exotic and sought out because of my appearance and not hated for it-but I do not begrudge them their lie. It is not our culture to discuss such things openly.

"However, I still struggled because I was conceived as a 'punishment' to my mother for supporting my father as he hid in the forests and fought for our freedom. Everything about me that set me apart, that made my community find me beautiful, came from a man who violated my mother and conquered my people. Just as Kenya could only be considered 'good' if bent into the image of the European, so my blood could only be beautiful if marred by European blood. Could I not be Kikuyu and Kenyan and still good?

"When I traveled to London for studies, it was not my biological father that defined me but my biological mother. I was African and no amount of European heritage could change that, could wipe the darkness away, could make me light enough to be worthy of the land of my biological father. No amount of education could remove the stain of 'savagery' from my blood. I would forever be branded as 'primitive and uncivilized' because of my place of birth, the place I love, the people who called me their own without any question of my origins.

"I am proud to be Kikuyu and Kenyan, but I have had to come to peace with both halves of my identity. I am just as British as I am Kenyan and, for many years, I struggled to accept both bloodlines as both felt soaked in shame."

"In Asgard, the poets sometime speak of 'the delicate dance between creatures and land, blood and earth, seasons and traditions' that forge the way of life on each realm. Where does blood stop and custom begin? It is nigh impossible to extricate the two for they are so deeply interwoven together into the tapestry of Yggdrasil," Loki responded. He lost himself in his thoughts for some time before addressing Njeri again. "How different would your perception of your mother's line have been if you had been raised in the land of your sire?"

She shook her head sadly. "It would not have been good. We have a saying that 'history is written by the victor' and conquest is often justified through tales of the inferiority of those conquered."

"There is truth in that," Loki said. "Lady Jane believes I was born on Midgard during the Ice War. My father was the king of the Frost Giants, the sworn enemy of Asgard, and I always assumed my mother was his queen. Jane believes my mother was not of Jotunheim. I did not ask her the land of my mother."

"Why not?" Njeri asked.

"Because I did not wish to know the answer," Loki replied. "I prove my own cowardice in how I shy away from the truth of myself. I would have preferred to remain ignorant of all the most basic facts of my identity and continue to believe myself Aesir, biological son of Odin and Frigga, even if a lie, than face the truth. My history has been rewritten in so many ways in recent years, I find myself unable to keep up with the rate of change."

"If you discover that your mother was from Midgard….?" Njeri asked slowly. She watched his reaction as disgust warred with dismay and fear. He quickly replaced all his emotions with a mask of impassivity mixed with arrogance.

"Then I will be the only being in the Nine Realms with a claim to not just one but three thrones on three realms and have successfully bestowed punishment onto each realm that has a claim upon me," he replied with a smirk.

Njeri shook her head and gave him an exasperated smile. She reached out to take his hand in hers. "Do not fear the truth," she exhorted passionately. "It may be painful, but if you do not fight it or ignore it, it can be the thread to sew the fractured parts of you together into a coherent whole again."

He nodded and she released his hand. Before long, he left Njeri to her rest. His own rest was hard to find as his eyes remained fixed on the ancient scroll, his mind whirling with the implications of an elder daughter in the house of Odin.

ooooooo

* * *

"Hey! Are you ready to run through these numbers with me?" Jane asked. She failed to take her eyes from the orange numbers flitting across her screen. Loki glanced over to where she sat on one of the stools in the lab. The colors of the screen reflected off her face with an eerie glow made all the more fey by the subtle way her blue eyes glowed from within with a light of their own.

"Not quite. I need to finish these up here," he replied and quickly returned to his final adjustments on the data Shuri gave him.

"What aren't you telling me?" she said. She turned to face him, raised one eyebrow, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Will you cease with your fortune-telling tricks, madam?" replied Loki.

"Sorry. It's just…I can't help it, ok. My brain is all kinds of rewired and I can just sense things and I can't stop till I know the truth."

"Your unceasing quest for knowledge will be the death of me, Lady Jane."

"You know, that statement may be true."

Loki threw up his hands in exasperation. "Insufferably irritating woman," he hissed.

She grinned. "Also a true statement-but only half true-you aren't speaking the other part."

"And what, pray tell, am I missing?"

"That you like me," she said.

"I most certainly do not."

"Not true…I can tell," she said.

Loki groaned. "If you are so well-informed on my innermost workings, why must I review your calculations?"

"Because they don't work," Jane said. "I've done this again and again and I can't figure out a way to make the design for the bifrost work. In each scenario, it fails."

"It fails?"

"Yeah, you know, like explodes or implodes or vaporizes or punches a hole through the atmosphere-it fails and does so spectacularly. I really wish you had more data or blueprints on the Asgardian bifrost."

"As we are rather far from Asgard's great libraries, it is not a particularly realistic wish."

"Come on," she said. "What do the other realms use to get around? Is Asgard the only one with a bifrost?"

"Yes. The Dark Elves and the Dwarves use slow, cumbersome interstellar vehicles. The Light Elves use magic to traverse the paths and portals inbetween realms. The Frost Giants do not leave Jotunheim," Loki said. Jane interrupted him before he could continue listing any of the other realms.

"Wait-I thought you said those guys invaded Earth. How did they get here if they can't leave Jotunheim?"

"They had their own power source that they used to transport their army between realms," he answered.

"Ok. How did that work?" she asked.

"I am unsure," he said. "I never thought of using it that way. They used an ancient relic called the Casket of Ancient Winters. It was Jotunheim's greatest prize and served as power source, weapon, shield, and their method of travel between realms."

"That doesn't sound so different from the bifrost. Did it have an observatory and a bridge similar to Asgard?" she asked.

Loki shook his head. "No. It is a portable device that is hardly larger than the screen you are working upon. I assume it not only carried Laufey's army to Midgard but was carried by Laufey for him to inflict the poor peasants of Midgard with its full destructive potential. He also used it to transport this army back to Jotunheim upon their expulsion by Asgard's forces. It was captured as a war prize and as punishment for their unprovoked aggression. Odin kept it in the weapon's vault in Asgard and the Frost Giants never forgave the Aesir for its loss."

Jane scribbled notes furiously onto her notepad as he spoke. "So, what powered it?" she asked.

"I do not know."

Jane groaned. "Come on! Have you seen it? You've gotta give me something here."

Loki nodded his head once. "I have done more than seen it. I have wielded it."

"Ok. That's something. What does it do?"

"It coats everything within 60 paces with a thick layer of ice and decreases the temperature of all it comes in contact with until it is well below freezing."

"Wow-I know how much energy it took to run our stupid little air conditioner in New Mexico…that had to be some serious power making it go," Jane mused as she chewed on her pen. "Tell me what it looked like. Or, better yet, draw it for me."

"Would you prefer to see it for yourself?"

Jane dropped her pen and swung her head to face him again. "What?"

"I clearly asked my question. Would you prefer to see the Casket of Ancient Winters for yourself?"

"How?"

"We will have to cross the borders so I may access my magic, but I have it in my storage."

"Wait, wait, wait-you have it with you? You've had it this whole time and never told me?"

Loki nodded and smirked at Jane's dumbstruck expression.

"What are you waiting for?" She finally asked. "Let's go."


	30. Chapter 30: Harvest

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Harvest**

* * *

Loki and Jane made their way through the lush palace gardens and towards the tunnel that would lead them outside the city's defensive shield.

"I hope you are prepared for a long walk, Dr. Foster," Loki said. "It will take time to arrive at the location where my magic regains its efficacy again."

"I could use some time out of the lab," she replied. "My head is spinning from too much time staring at screens."

As they passed by the space where the Mind Stone had seen its demise, Jane paused.

"Loki, why is Mjolnir still out here?" she asked. She walked over to it and ran her hand over one edge to rub off the drops of dew that had collected.

"It is waiting for its mistress, Lady Jane. You require your own warrior's weapon now that you are a shield maiden."

She gave him a funny look. "You are only giving me half-truths. What aren't you telling me?"

"Fine. I am unworthy to wield Mjolnir. Only those who are worthy can wield it. I never have been and never will be deemed worthy."

"That's better, but even still, your last statement is false. You _do_ believe it to be genuine, but it is not true in terms of reality. You can someday be worthy."

"No. I cannot."

"It's not that you cannot. You can. The question is if you will choose to."

"You suddenly feel compelled to wax philosophical?"

"No," she replied. "It is just what is."

She bent over to easily retrieve the weapon and admired its glow in the sunlight. She flipped it once in her hand.

"I suppose I will need some kind of way to carry it around with me. It's a little clumsy to hold it all the time."

"Thor had a magic belt," Loki answered.

"Not exactly helpful, unless you know how to make a magic belt?"

"Unfortunately, that was dwarven magic, forged along with Mjolnir on Nidavellir."

"Well, maybe I can use some rope to tie it to my back or something," Jane replied with a shrug. "So, does this mean I can call down lightning?"

"Try," Loki replied with eyes too full of mischief for Jane to feel comfortable immediately obeying.

"What? Will I make us both explode or something?"

"I do not know," he answered, the mischief extinguishing from his eyes and replaced by simple curiosity. "That is why I wish for you to try."

Jane held Mjolnir over her head, as she had seen Thor do in New Mexico, and gave the sky above her a wary glance. The sun continued to glare back. No clouds gathered and no strikes of lightning answered the call.

"Focus inward, Lady Jane," Loki replied. "The power does not originate in the sky but within yourself. Mjolnir focuses the power, but it does not create it."

She lifted the hammer over her head again and closed her eyes. As she did, a blue haze emanated from the hammer and engulfed her. She opened her eyes which now glowed like super novas and she floated above the grass and upwards towards the sky. She lowered the hammer upon a nearby rock and the rock exploded into pieces. She dropped the hammer as if it suddenly became superheated and the blue light vanished.

She sat on the ground and stared at the fragments of rock, fingering them with her hands. Then she lifted the hammer into the air again. The blue haze reemerged and engulfed not only Jane and the hammer, but spread to cover the pieces of rock as well. The pieces of rock floated upwards, as if Mjolnir were magnetic, and spun into a tornado-like funnel, faster and faster, until they collided together. The pieces fell to the ground coalesced together into the shape of a perfect cube. Jane dropped the hammer again.

"I can see," Jane whispered as she stared at the cube. "I can see the very molecules and the forces holding them together. It's as if I can sense the physical realities within objects as much as I can sense the inner truths of people. It's incredible. I could feel the sap running through the trees, the sun granting energy to the grass, and even the life forces of each insect beneath our feet. I can feel what holds it all together…and…manipulate it into something else."

Loki cocked his head to one side to consider her. "We will need to develop your mastery of Mjolnir further, Lady Jane."

She still sat slightly dazed but she nodded her head in agreement. Loki extended his hand to help her off the ground. She took it and grabbed Mjolnir on her way up.

"Let us continue on the task ahead of us," Loki said.

He opened the electronic door leading into the tunnel. When the motion sensors caught their movements, a series of lights illuminated the passageway before them and they walked on a smooth concrete floor through the maze of tunnels.

"Loki, can I ask you a question?" Jane said as they walked.

"You may, though I may choose not to answer if the question displeases me."

"Why did Asgardians stop coming to Earth? From the myths, it sounds like they used to come and go quite often. What happened?"

"Ah! Yes. In the days of Buri, grandfather of Odin, and Bor, father of Odin, the peoples of all the realms intermixed freely. Knowledge of magic was as common as the knowledge of the stars and the warriors of Asgard enjoyed many a quest and a dalliance across the Nine realms, including Midgard.

"There came a time of great chaos and unrest instigated by the Dark Elves and this exiled Svartaflheim from the other Nine. In the early days of Odin, the Ice Wars further limited free travel between Jotunheim and the other realms. He also forbid travels to Helheim due to a political dispute with its ruler, though it is not often spoken about. There are some traders, explorers, and mercenaries who venture outside of the Nine, but that is beyond the reach of the Bifrost or the branches of Yggdrasil."

Jane's eyes lit up that that and he could almost see the questions brimming from the glowing blue embers that were now her eyes.

"Wait-there are more? Have you been to any?" she began to ask.

Loki shook his head. "Yes, there are more than you could count and I have been to some, though do you wish to hear of the history of Midgard and Asgardian relations or more on the astronomy of the universe?"

She nearly bounced in her steps as she regarded him and grinned. "Can I choose both?"

"No."

"Fine. Continue on with your story-but I want to know more later."

Loki sighed. "Of course you do. As I was saying, the peoples of all the realms used to freely travel to Midgard. In long generations past, the longer living peoples of the other realms enjoyed coming to Midgard for sport and curiosity and trade and exploration.

"It was Bor who first established limitations on travel to Midgard. It was he who first declared Midgard a protectorate of Asgard and he forbid the denizens of other realms from unrestricted travel here. He set up, what you might call, a 'nature preserve' here to protect the weaker, short-lived peoples and creatures of this realm from being overrun with reckless, irresponsible members of other realms. There were some who would not hesitate to use their superior powers to dominate this realm, subjugate its peoples, and enslave the population for their own pleasure. Under Asgardian protection, Midgard was granted autonomy to do as it wished, without interference from beyond their own realm. A delegation of Asgardian diplomats were granted passage, but none others."

"Wow. That's really patronizing," Jane said with an eye roll.

"Lady Jane, to the peoples of the other realms, Midgardians are little different than a colony of ants would be to you," Loki responded with a sideways glance. He smirked as he saw the predicted irritation flash across her features. "As you could with an ant, I could break a Midgardian arm with my forefinger and thumb. I am over a thousand years old and I am still considered quite young. I can go for years without needing food or drink. If I use my magic, I could melt the entirety of New York simply by snapping my fingers. Your people are as strong as ants in comparison. It does not meant you are without worth, simply that you are small.

"You have seen the mighty ant hills that are built here in Wakanda? They stand as tall me and are harder to break down than wood. Ants, when working together, can accomplish wonders. They are brilliant creatures. They can hunt rats and devour the corpse of a cow if they work at it long enough and hard enough. In their short lifespans and in their great numbers, they are quite admirable. However, despite their stingers, capacity to build, and valiant hearts, they are still small beings in comparison with the lions and elephants that walk past them. Many ants build symbiotic relationships with trees or other creatures to aid their chances at survival. Your people are ants and if you wish to survive, you must remember that and learn to make your alliances just as wisely. "

"Alliances such as granting Asgard rule over us?" she scoffed.

"I guarantee you, Lady Jane, it has benefited your people greatly, though you may not see if from your perspective."

"Right, cause I'm an ant."

Loki tossed a grin at her as he cocked his head in the direction of the hammer on his back. "The bearer of Mjolnir can no longer be classified as an ant. You have at least risen to the distinction of mosquito or honey bee."

"Thanks. I'm flattered," she responded sarcastically. "Entomological comparisons aside, why did the Aesir stop coming?"

"Ah, yes. Well, during Odin's early reign, diplomatic relationships were still in place and emissaries from the realms were still sent to Midgard. The Aesir chose to interact with some of the strongest and most powerful kingdoms of Midgard, though, occasionally, less scrupulous diplomats chose kingdoms simply for their entertainment value. Later, Odin discovered that some of the emissaries misused their positions. The little natives saw them as gods and goddesses and worshipped them and brought them ever more lavish gifts to win their favor-and the emissaries rather enjoyed that.

"When Odin heard of their large harems and the human sacrifices brought to the emissaries to seek their blessings, he forbid it and refused further emissaries other than of the Asgardian royal family. It was much later, when Thor and I were already of age and had traveled extensively through Midgard, that Odin halted even our unrestricted travel. I am aware of no Aesir visiting Midgard since, well, since Thor's dalliances in Wakanda that the king spoke of which must have been five centuries ago. At least, not until Thor's banishment.

"When Odin totally abolished travel to Midgard, he spoke in the most veiled terms of the reasons behind his command. I was away in Alfheim much during that era and cared little for court gossip. Since I had no wish to visit Midgard again, I did not inquire much into the command. However, from what I have learned since our arrival here, I must assume it was, at least in part, due to Odin's attempts to restrict Thor's dalliances across the realms. It is ironic because some of the old servants say there were a great many half-Aesir children birthed on Midgard after Odin's journeys here. However, that was long before the days of Frigga and if anything could mend the wayward ways of an Aesir, it would be the wrath of the All-Mother."

"Does Odin have something against humans?"

"He thought it dishonorable for a warrior and, especially a prince, to bed a woman on other realms who he did not intend to wed. Odin felt that as princes of Asgard, it is unfair to impose ourselves on those who have less power. How could a woman of lower status, less advantages, and less strength have the full freedom to refuse? She may fear to. In addition, on some of the realms, a woman who has born children cannot be wed to another man. This leaves her and her progeny defenseless and without resources."

"Isn't that demeaning to women?"

"Demeaning? In what way?"

"Can't the women take care of themselves?"

"Jane, a woman can be a mighty warrior and a mighty hunter and highly capable-but I am speaking of real life."

"You are sounding sexist."

"Listen, woman, and I will explain myself," he said curtly. "You come from a society built with technology and with food mass produced for the consumption of skilled craftsmen and women who do not need to farm or hunt their own resources. Tell me, what would you eat if you had no markets or farmers to buy food from?"

"You mean subsistence farmers?"

"Yes. And in a realm where it is impossible to farm and one must survive entirely by hunting…," he began, until she interrupted him again.

"But you said women can be mighty hunters," she said.

"And I speak truth. But tell me, Jane, how fast can a woman run when she is heavy with child? Or with a suckling babe in tow? How fierce may she hunt with a toddler in her arms? She may be fierce and a strong fighter, but even she is made vulnerable by the presence of children. Without kin networks and warriors, who are not with child, to protect her and hunt for her and her children, she is defenseless and easy prey to beast, man, and hardship. Even some Midgardian birds and beasts require pair-bonded mates for their offspring to survive, why would the peoples of your realm be any different?

"During the years Asgardians traveled freely across Midgard, Asgardian warriors left their discarded lovers with children stronger than themselves, oftentimes endowed with magic or exceedingly long lives. True, their children grew to be heroes of legend, demi-gods, as you would call them, but their mothers often struggled to provide for them and manage such children.

"Odin said such behavior was dishonorable for the men of Asgard and if we were not prepared to grant our progeny our name, our protection, our purse, and our house, then we should not plant our seed in the wombs of their women. Thus, the continued decree against any from outside Midgard traveling here to disrupt the lives of your people."

Jane considered all of this as they continued through the dark passages. Loki turned down a few hallways, obviously familiar with the route.

"Why didn't Odin just allow Aesir to marry Midgardians? Wouldn't that have taken care of the problem?"

Jane frowned when she saw Loki laugh in response.

"Oh, Jane, it can hardly be called marriage for how short such an arrangement would last. In barely half a century, one's partner has withered and joined their ancestors. What is the purpose of such a union? Midgardians are seen as very entertaining since they can produce children so often. Many a Midgardian maid has been sought out to prove a warrior's valor through giving a fertile field for his seed. Many a Midgardian man has been sought to provide entertainment and distraction for a bored matron. While, it is true that Midgardians have often been sought for play and pleasure and curiosity, they can hardly be taken seriously as potential marriage partners. They could not even survive one Harvest Season, let alone live long enough to wait for the next, if the Harvest were still centuries away."

"The other day…in the library…you mentioned a Harvest season. I am assuming you did not mean a harvest of crops," she said.

Loki rose one eyebrow. "I am still waiting for the question."

"What is the Harvest season?"

"Every five hundred years, Asgard celebrates their Harvest Season. This is a hundred year span of time where warfare is avoided as much as possible. It is a time for marriages, births, raising of the young, peace, and celebrations. The warriors keep to their homes, their women bear them children, the children are raised to full strength, and Asgard rests and renews. It is the beginning of the next cycle of life and the next generation of society."

"Are you telling me that Asgard only has weddings every four hundred years?"

"Of course. We celebrate our marriages when it is possible for our women to bear children. What would be the use of marrying outside of the Harvest when there will be no children?"

Jane's mouth opened wide and she gave a slight squeak of dismay. "Loki, are you telling me Asgardian women can only bear children during the Harvest?"

He gave a long-suffering sigh and stared at the low ceiling for a moment before he resumed his explanation. "Of course. Midgardian women have seasons when they are fertile, yes?"

"I suppose that's one way to describe it."

"Anyhow, Aesir women, function on roughly four hundred to five hundred year cycles. All women of child-bearing years become fertile during the Harvest Season in conjunction with the rising and setting of one of our moons. The Harvest Season is declared upon the first pregnancy and it ends with the last birth. After a Harvest Season ends, there will be no more children until the next season."

"Wait-they can't have accidents in between?"

"Accidents? Oh, not in the way you mean. It is biologically impossible for Aesir women."

"So, they basically having a mating season and all the women go into heat."

"That is a crude way to explain it but it captures the truth of the matter. It is explained that it is biologically adaptive to our lifespans and lifestyle on Asgard. If Aesir reproduced as quickly as Midgardians, all Asgard would be overrun within a hundred years and it would be unsustainable. Midgardians, with your short lifespans and fragile biology, must reproduce like rabbits or their entire species would go extinct within a century. With as readily as your people succumb to disease, famine, injury, and age, it is a wonder Midgardians survive at all."

Jane rolled her eyes at that and Loki smirked in response.

"Ok, so you have a set span of time that everyone marries and has families. How does that work?"

"The cycle of Asgardian life follows the cycles of the Harvest. A hundred years of rest and new life. Then, the traders return to their travels across the galaxy, the warriors return to battle, the children grow up together. It takes nearly a hundred to two hundred years to reach full physical maturity. Each age set born during a Harvest grows up together. The youths from the last Harvest are considered full adults and full members of Asgardian society by the time of the next Harvest.

"During the Harvest, the warriors can choose to lay down their arms and pursue a trade. The shield-maidens can lay down their arms and choose to wed. If they prefer to maintain their warrior status, which is the most elite in Asgard, they may. The next Harvest season, they can choose to change again.

"Before the Harvest season, each age set of youth born the previous Harvest, prove themselves as warriors so they can compete for wives. At beginning of the Harvest, all women who would like to marry, remarry, or change husbands attend the ceremony that lasts years. Women, by order of rank, choose competitors from the men- all who wish a wife or another wife. The women are then honor-bound to wed whichever man is capable of defeating them. The men who are beaten go back into the pool for other women to choose from.

"As I mentioned before, the Aesir are fierce warriors. The women are as skilled with a blade as the men. Thus it is imperative that a man gains the respect of his wife and so he must best her in battle before he can prove is worthy of her hand. In order to declare his desire to wed a maid, the man will meet the maid in a ceremonial battle before all her kin and prove his worth. At the end of the battle, the woman surrenders her sword to the man.

"However, if the maid is the victor, she maintains her own sword. Her family will not allow the marriage to proceed, nor would the woman so shame herself. If the maid wishes to wed the man, she must fight fiercely, but she will not fight as fiercely as if she does not wish to wed him.

"It is not uncommon for a woman who, knowing the intentions of a warrior and despising them, will maintain an enchanted blade with her at all times to insure her victory and his humiliation before all. The man, once beaten by a maid, will be sorely tried upon to win the honor of another maid. It is not impossible, but it is more difficult and less likely he will gain the hand or respect of a high ranking maid. It is in the best interest of the warrior to secure her good affections before he publicly declares his desire to wed her."

"Do the men have more than one wife?" Jane asked.

"A man may have as many wives as are willing to wed him, but Aesir women are jealous and strong. It is a brave man, indeed, who would seek more than one at a time. There is also the danger that a first wife, upon hearing her husband's decision to seek another, will simply leave and choose new competitors for her hand from among the unmarried warriors.

"Winning a wife is a great honor. It shows not only his prowess as a warrior but his respectability among the people. If a man has a reputation for mistreatment, no woman will choose him as husband. The lowest ranking women have only the youngest, least known, or least respected men to choose from. If a man proves himself, future harvests may bring him a wife of higher rank. If a woman wishes to increase her status, she may choose to wed a miscreant of higher rank so that she and her children may be well-respected. All children born to a man belong to his house and line so it may benefit a maid to spend a few hundred years in a marriage of convenience in order to obtain the possibility of a greater position in future."

"Don't Aesir marry for reasons other than children? Why don't they marry in-between Harvests?" she asked.

"The royalty and some of the highest ranking families may marry their sons before the next Harvest to obtain political alliances, diplomatic ties, and gain status. The noblemen require exposure to the lives and cultures of the other realms and alliances between nobility are valued for the strength of the Nine.

"Aesir men reach sexual maturity more quickly than their female counterparts. If the next Harvest Season is still a long way off, noble youths will take their first wife from another realm and join them on their realm for an allotted period of time to learn their customs and their ways. Typically, for their first marriage, noble parents will seek a woman of high rank from the other realms. They wish for someone experienced both in marriage and politics, trade and the customs of their people who can train their son to be an honored husband of high rank. The first wife of an Aesir nobleman is typically a highly respected widow of a much greater age than the youth."

"Wait-so they marry their not quite of age sons off to old women?"

"Jane, for a people who live between 6000 to 8000 years, a woman five hundred years or even a few thousand years older than a youth will still appear of a similar age to the youth. Even more, if the first wife is from Alfheim, then she will never age and may live for tens of thousands of years. The only death that may befall her is battle or The Wasting.

"Let me illustrate. When Thor and I married, we were still youth, still growing tall. As princes, we were married off much sooner than even the noble youth, because it is imperative we continued our education and forge alliances. Thor was just over a hundred and had barely managed a beard by his wedding. Thor's first wife was a Light Elf, the widow of a renowned General and the daughter of the Principal Ruler of Alfheim. Nana was over 4000 by the time they wed.

"Thor stayed on Alfheim for almost a hundred years before he returned to continue his education and duties on Asgard. During his time on Alfheim, his wife taught him all the ways of her people and realm. Even when she returned with him to Asgard, she continued her role as First Royal Wife and taught him how to please a woman and behave as a proper husband. She was a lovely woman-very soft-hearted and kindly. She looked every inch the Elven princess. However, by our Harvest Season, she succumbed to The Wasting and joined the halls of her ancestors."

"What is that?"

"The Wasting? Elves, by nature, mate for life. For Elven women, only their mates can impregnate them. Elven men, while capable of procreating with other species, do not experience the same bond with their consorts as their mates. The bond between mates is intense, so much so, they can feel the emotions of their mate even if separated across the realms. If a mate dies in battle, the other will shortly follow. They simply waste away and no magic or healer can prevent it. While Thor's wife could perform her duties as wife admirably, she could not bear him children nor form the same kind of bond she had with her deceased husband. As her Wasting grew worse, she left Asgard and returned to the halls of her father for the remainder of her life."

"Do elves ever form…what do you call them?...mate bonds…with other species?"

"It is not unheard of, but it is considered a curse by most."

"Why?"

"Do you not remember me saying that elves are immortal? If an elf formed a mate bond with a Midgardian, what would be the end result? They would shorten their lifespan exponentially and leave their kin in mourning for the rest of their lives. Even an Aesir lifespan is incomparable to that of an elf. The Light Elves, in recent millennia, have forbidden their unmated youth from traveling the realms for this very reason. Only once they have formed their mate bond can they freely travel the realms.

"It has not prevented some foolish youth from trying and experimenting. However, their reduced lifespans are then on their own heads and it is seen as a just punishment for being foolhardy. It is not uncommon for an elf who has lost their mate to take a consort or love from the other realms or from the population of the Wasting, but it is never the same and they cannot help but waste."

"That's really sad. So-you said Thor's first wife-did he marry again?"

Loki laughed. "Well, you remember I told you we expected Thor would marry his Fire Giant mistress after Nana died?"

"I remember…and I can understand more why her relatives were so upset with Thor now."

"Yes, well, after Nana, he showed no inclination to take a proper wife from any of the realms. Well, it was decided that Thor's coronation would be held in conjunction with the beginning of the next Harvest. After, Thor was to wed the Lady Sif and she was to lay down her sword until the next Harvest. The All-Father thought she would make a capital queen and Thor did not oppose the idea.

"Perhaps, some other nobleman will manage it now that the prince is gone, though I doubt it. It would be a truly brave man who sought to best the Lady Sif in battle. The only sword I know who could hope to accomplish the feat would have been the noble prince's and now that he is lost, the Lady Sif could hardly release her honor enough to accept any other."

"I remember her," Jane replied. "Has she ever married?"

"Ah, the Lady Sif is one who does not balk at throwing off societal expectations. She was the only child of a high ranking nobleman and master swordsman. Upon her father's death, she gained sole ownership of his property. When time came for her first Harvest, she was the most highly desired maid in Asgard for her wealth, rank, and beauty. She choose the most renowned warriors of all Asgard and then, much to everyone's surprise, she systematically obliterated them each on the battlefield.

"She humiliated them all and, at the end, she lifted her own sword into the air and cut off her long hair as all Asgard watched in mortification. Then, with the pride of a queen, she said she required the sword and name and house of no man. Then, to add fuel to the fire, she proved to be with child during that same Harvest. She bore a son she called Ullr Sifson and she refused to claim a husband or father for her son.

"The nobles were so scandalized that they cried out to the All-Father to force her to submit to tradition and behave in a more 'womanly' manner. Thor, on the other hand, found her actions most impressive and entertaining. As soon as her son was grown, he invited her join his most elite force of warriors. She has refused to give her hand in marriage to any since, though many believed she would have been persuaded if it were Thor who sought to best her in battle. Such a surrender would not impugn the good lady's honor or her reputation as a warrior."

"That's actually kinda awesome," Jane replied.

It was Loki's turn to roll his eyes. "Of course, you would be impressed by such blatant disregard of tradition."

She raised one eyebrow in response and considered him carefully. "Tell me, oh prince, are you well-known for upholding Asgardian traditions?"

Loki's face broke into a grin and he stopped walking to give her a slight bow. "I must admit, I have been known to bend a few minor rules, on occasion."

Jane laughed and shook her head. "How many Harvests do most Aesir women marry for?" she asked.

"Aesir women may only produce children during three Harvests. Some may have four. I heard of a few who experienced five, but that is very rare. That is why is so important for them to have husbands and for their husbands to be home with them during the Harvest. If war is declared during a Harvest season, it could potentially prevent an entire generation of Aesir children from being born.

"This is one of the reasons why the Ice War still has such strong animosity around it. The Frost Giants, knowing full well the importance of the Harvest, thought that they could attack Midgard without repercussion. Many a warrior missed the birth of their babe and many a wife missed the opportunity to provide an heir to a warrior who now lay slain in the battlefield. It was a time of great anger and sadness because the war cost not only the lives of warriors, but the lives of children who could not be conceived. The higher status men returned home from the battlefield as often as they could be spared, especially the younger men since to leave them without heirs for their property could be disastrous. However, the lower ranking men and women suffered the most."

"I can see how that could be a problem. Wait-didn't you tell me that Thor incited another war with Jotunheim?"

"Yes. On his coronation, he traveled to Jotunheim and stirred up another conflict and it is still very early in our Harvest. This is a time when all warriors should lay down their arms and stay at home, but Thor did not consider that in his anger."

"He…oh…oh…"

"The All-Father was furious and banished him….and I sought to end the war as quickly as possible without sending our warriors to battle….but my efforts were not appreciated," Loki responded in a voice still tinged with the bitterness he felt.

Jane opened her mouth to ask him another question, but did not get the chance. Loki opened a final door and they exited the tunnels into the sunlit forests beyond.

"Now, Lady Jane, may I present to you the Casket of Ancient Winters, the treasure of Jotunheim," Loki said as he materialized the ancient relic in his hands. He gave a slight bow as he held the glowing object up for her to gaze upon. "I beg you not to touch it, despite your curiosity. It may not react well with your warm Midgardian form."

She nodded and stared at it. "I can feel it," she said. "The power emanating from it."

She pulled Mjolnir off her back and held it aloft. "I want to know more," she said and soon a haze of blue engulfed her and shined from within her and she turned all her inner powers onto the Casket.


	31. Chapter 31: Venom

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 31: Venom**

* * *

Loki couldn't help but cringe and turn away. The frozen banana palm tree before them showed the efficacy of the glowing Casket he held in his now blue hands, but the very hue of his fingers proved the reason he had not further explored the potential powers inherent within the Jotun treasure. He felt Jane's curious eyes on him and he sought to sink further into the shadowed forest to avoid detection in this form. She didn't mention it, but he felt the weight of her questions on him as if they were formed of lead.

She instead turned to stare at the now frozen tree, its leaves perfectly encased in solid ice from the ground to its highest peak. She ran one finger along an edge and startled slightly as the leave broke in half and fell at her feet.

"One more time, please," she asked. She hefted Mjolnir into her hands again and Loki saw she meant to focus her new powers in understanding what she could of the Casket's capabilities. He reluctantly approved of her intention and pointed the Casket towards a small tree stump nearby. He felt the power flow from the ancient relic and, more unsettling, through him. He felt it search him out and call to him and sift inside of him as if seeking a conduit. He grit his teeth and tried not to think upon how his red eyes now saw everything before him through tinted hues.

Jane turned her brilliantly glowing face upon him and he shuddered to think what she would see now. He placed the Casket down upon the damp grass, ceasing the flow of power from its turbulent heart.

She tried to reach out and touch the azure and cerulean swirling box with her bare fingers. Loki shouted for her to stop, though he dared not touch her as he waited for his skin to fade from Jotun to Aesir.

"It will burn your skin with its cold!" he said. She gave him a dismissive glance and tore a piece of cloth from her shirt. She used this to shield her skin from the now darkening box and ran her hand along one of its metallic casings. Without turning to look back at him, Jane spoke.

"You weren't quite right…Back when you said this is your 'true' form. It is and it isn't. Both forms are just as much you."

She didn't wait for a response but left him to linger in her words.

"Did you ever figure out how to use it to transport you from place to place?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"I have some ideas," she said with a pensive, lost expression she so often wore when she was deep in thought. "Can we keep it in the lab for a few days?"

He nodded and covered the Casket with his cape to carry it back across the border. To his relief, his hands showed a return to his "normal" pale as porcelain coloring.

Oooooooo

* * *

"So, you told me about Thor, but you didn't tell me about yourself," Jane asked him as they resumed the long, winding walk back through the tunnels and into Birnin Zana.

"What about myself?" he asked warily. He disliked speaking of himself, most especially knowing any untruths would evaporate like dew in the morning sun.

"Are you married?" she asked.

"No."

"Have you been?"

"Of course. I told you. Princes are wed as soon as we come of age. Our first marriages are always affairs of state and carefully chosen for the benefits of the realm and Asgard."

"That sounds so boring. What about love?"

"Ah, yes, I have heard parts of Midgard have a preoccupation with hormone and lust-induced passion which fades as quickly as the novelty of a new toy. Tell me, Jane, how well do marriages fare in your home country? Does your preoccupation with 'romance' and 'love' lead to highly satisfactory and long-lasting alliances? What is the rate of marital dissolution?" he asked more curtly than he should have.

"But….," she began.

"No, Lady Jane. For royalty and the elite in Asgard, marriage is a role that one fills. There are specific obligations and understandings between partners. It builds new families and family lines, aligns kingdoms and peoples, and provides continuity of values to the next generation. When one wishes to hire a general, the general need not enjoy being a general at all times to make a good one. One must simply vow to uphold their role and fulfill their duties with all their heart, regardless of the challenges they face. Some days, they may enjoy their tasks and find meaning and fulfillment in them and in others, they may find it challenging, but they faithfully adhere to their commitment regardless."

"That sounds so cold and heartless."

"I guarantee you, Jane, it is not so…especially on a cold winter's night and behind closed doors," Loki said with a smirk. Jane blushed, as he intended.

"Jane-you come from one specific time period and history and your traditions of marriage reflect the society in which you were grown."

"Fine. So, your first marriage was arranged. What happened?" she said.

He sighed. "Must I bore you with such a 'cold and heartless' tale?"

She gave him a firm glance which clearly communicated she would not be deterred and he gave up dissuading her.

"My first wife, Angrboda, was a pretty Vanir princess with a shrewd mind and high ambition, but she is long dead and I refused any other marriages," he answered shortly, hoping it was enough to quell her curiosity.

"Do you have children," Jane asked.

Loki hesitated. "Yes, but not by Angrboda. They grew to adulthood many centuries ago and their descendants remain on Alfheim."

He groaned as he noted this only piqued Jane's interest more.

"Elves?" she asked.

"Some have intermarried with elves, but not all," he answered.

"No-I mean you-was their, uh, mother an elf?" she asked.

"No."

She groaned. "Loki, you are being purposefully obtuse," she said. "Do I need to play twenty questions to get you to tell me more?"

"If I say 'yes' will it discourage you from prying?"

"Do you dislike talking about it that much?" she asked, growing more serious. "I will drop it if you really don't want to talk about it."

Loki could see her curiosity warring her with politeness and he stopped to consider. What did he have to lose from speaking the truth?

"My second wife…who could never be formally recognized by Asgardian society…was of Midgard," he finally said.

The look of surprise on Jane's face rewarded him enough for his admission and he grinned.

"I was quite young, only a hundred, when I first married, and Angrboda had only seen four more centuries than myself. We were both discovering what it meant to be lovers, to be royalty, to be adults of society. She was carefully chosen by Odin and Frigga and they chose well. We were so similar-quick minds, fiery tempers, loyal to a fault, and passionate about all we put our minds to, but with our shared strengths, we shared each other's weaknesses. We have a saying: 'two suns will scorch the earth,' meaning, there needs be a sun and a moon, day and night, and any joining of peoples needs to have different skill sets to create balance. We did not and we scorched the earth.

"For the first few hundred years, we blossomed together. When she arrived in her innocence and youth, we grew together well. She was beautiful, captivating, and mesmerizing. We joined forces for Asgard and learned to play the game of politics together. Many a secret she scurried out and utilized. Many a politician came into power through her alliance and support. Many a law grew out of her tireless efforts.

"We were happy, but it could not last. She grew hungry and discontent. Her own avarice and limitless lust for power grew to rob her of any appreciation of what she had and turned her eyes to what she did not. Her lusts and insecurities influenced my own and our shared weaknesses were multiplied in each other's company.

"One day, she showed signs of being with child. It shook us both greatly. It was still three hundred years until the next Harvest, barely two hundred years into our marriage. It should not have been possible, even for a Vanir, as they are close kindred cousins to the Aesir and their Harvests parallel ours closely. The only occasions where such unusually lapses in order occur are when the mother proves less than not fully Aesir or Vanir. The only possible genetic mixes that produce such circumstances are when there is Midgardian or Jotun blood. In either case, it is a shame upon the ancestry of the mother and her offspring.

"Angrboda felt overcome with shame and chose to remain in seclusion until our daughter was born. Then, when she bore our daughter, we knew something was wrong. She came too early and was born too small. She did not last a year before she joined our ancestors and we grieved deeply. Angrboda was doubly devastated.

"Palace gossip was not kind to her and assumptions of her heritage began to be whispered about. Angrboda struggled with the knowledge that she, most likely, had a Jotun grandparent on her mother's side. While her father was the king of Vanaheim, her mother was his third wife and one of a large number of Vanir queens. Her mother never revealed any tales of unusual parentage to her daughter and had since joined the halls of her ancestors. It would not have been obvious to the king as he only visited his queens irregularly-he had so many to keep track of, he could hardly be bothered as long as they pleased him.

"Later inquiries discovered her Angrboda's grandmother, Skadi, was of Jotunheim and was claimed as bride by a Vanir chief during a past era when interactions between realms were still permitted. Angrboda, the only daughter of her mother, was born during the Harvest before the Ice War so no one suspected her mother of other origins and the peoples of Vanaheim had less distaste for the Jotnar than the Aesir harbored since the Ice War.

"After that, she threw herself even more forcefully into her political schemes. She determined that I needed to gain more respect and prestige and encouraged me to train more fiercely, to increase my skills as a warrior, and accompany Thor more often on his quests. I complied simply to make her happy, though I much preferred to stay at home and keep to my books and studies of magic.

"She grew impossible to please. No matter how hard I worked, how I schemed, how I fought, I could no longer earn her favor. Instead of being my companion and helpmate, she grew to be a constant goad in my side. She mocked my weaknesses and failings and compared me mercilessly to the other Aesir warriors. Within a hundred years of the death of our firstborn, her love transformed to scorn and I sought to protect myself under my own shield of silence and sarcasm.

"When she chose to share my bed again, she immediately conceived. She had no reason to fear the eyes of Asgard on her this time as it was well-known that Vanir's Harvest had begun. Thus, she could walk in pride as our child grew. Yet, when Angrboda gave birth to a stillborn son after only three years gestation, instead of the customary seven, she fell into hysterics and nearly had to be restrained in her grief.

"I said words I should not have spoken. As a princess of the realm, her status carried more weight than her blood in the eyes of the Aesir until her failure to birth viable young began to cast doubts on her blood due to her background. She was shamed despicably by the Aesir and ostracized and despite my empty words of support, I failed to truly be the husband that she required, too caught up in my own schemes and insecurities.

"She forbid me to be in her presence and spoke such words as I would never repeat in the presence of my worst enemy. She flew into a rage and nearly tore apart our wing of the palace. She refused me entry to her chambers and refused to see me or speak to me. Eir, the head healer, recommended I spend some time away from her to help her calm.

"Thus, I traveled to Alfheim for some time. I went to study under some of the elven mages. After so much political intrigue and grief, I did not wish to join in the politics of the elven elite in the capital and withdrew to the countryside. I obtained a small cottage in the mountains, hid my identity and stayed to myself except when I sought my tutors.

"I paid frequent visits to Asgard and wished greatly to assist my wife in her healing, as I did still care for her, but she refused me again and again. I received reports of her behaving erratically, flying into tempers, and sometimes refusing to leave her chambers for days and other times refusing to return to her chambers to rest for days. Yet she would not speak to me and sent me away each time I sought her company or tried to make amends.

"I spent another decade or so on Alfheim in this manner before I received a surprise visit from my wife in the capital of Alfheim. She came in her finest of clothes, overflowing with joy and affection to see me, despite her refusal to so much as speak to me for years. She said she longed to tour Alfheim with me and I thought perhaps she was healed and genuine and all would be well again.

"But she flew into a rage with me when I refused to bed her. I told her I did not wish to give her more grief and she began to curse at me and blame me for all our troubles and wish I was more like my brother and that I was a shame to all Asgard and Asgard was better off without me.

"Her words-so aptly digging into my insecurities-those I had willingly shared with her when I considered her a shield-maiden-now were used as weapons to despise me. It became obvious that whatever love she may have once held for me had been destroyed through her grief.

"We have a saying in Asgard about being 'tied under a serpent' and that means to be enslaved to grief. For us, the serpent symbolizes death and the venom of death is the bitterness of heart that can accompany the unhealed losses that can attend one for so many thousands of years when the love of one truly valued is lost. Aesir have been known to go mad when death's venom is poured onto their breast.

"When Angrboda stormed out and returned to Asgard, I was at a loss. I followed after her in an attempt to make amends but she refused me. In a few months' time, I discovered the reason she had first sought me out. She was with child and sought to pass it off as mine. Angrboda determined she would be with the child's father instead of with me but this proved complicated."

"Why?" Jane asked.

"Because Thor was the father."

"What!"

"Thor was beautiful and beloved by all-too beloved as it turned out, with my beautiful and charismatic wife. She sought him out during her unstable time and he was too kind and too generous to doubt her motives. She cast me in the worst of lights with my family and spoke all manner of untruths about me across Asgard.

"Then she determined that, in order to be done with me, she would orchestrate events so that it would appear that I attempted to kill my brother. The penalty of this would have been my life imprisonment or death-either of which would have led to her release from our marriage contract and she would be free to pursue marriage with Thor as soon as he was no longer married to the Princess Nana.

"I believe Thor knew none of this. It was not in his nature to be distrustful or conniving or even to willingly betray his warrior-companions. He was ever convinced that he was the golden savior seeking to comfort the lady wronged by his mercurial and neglectful younger brother. According to her, it was I who refused her and abandoned her and used magic to make her conceive outside of the Harvest in order to shame her and then kept her womb from bearing viable fruit. She blamed me for everything and cast herself in the best possible light.

"However, her plot failed. Her attempts to frame me for attempted murder were prevented by the confessions of some of the servants who observed her plot. When it was discovered that she was the one behind the schemes, she slit her own throat in the night and the guards found her dead at dawn, healthy baby boy nearly at full term within her womb-with hair the exact shade of blond as Thor's, though the true parentage of the babe was known by none but myself.

"Behind closed doors, Asgard said it was her Jotun blood that made her run mad and made her do evil. Of course-what could be expected from such a woman? For a long time, I believed them.

"The grief, the anger-it was all too much for any of us to bear. I left for Alfheim again where I could grieve without the gossip and expectations and watchful eyes all around me. I did not wish to hear my mother weeping or my brother raging or my father's disappointed gaze. I wished to simply grieve alone.

"My family was worried. Mages when 'tied under a serpent' have been known to shake the earth with their grief as their magic is released with their emotions. I simply left and did not give them time to stop me.

"There, in my small cottage in the mountains, I hid away from it all. No more comparison with my brother, no more pleas to be better for my wife, and no parents to disappoint. I reveled in the quiet and the stillness. It was beautiful there. No one else save me and my servant girl and the occasional peddler selling wares from the city.

"When I first arrived in Alfheim, a decade before, the chief of the village at the base of the mountain sent me a gift in tribute to show his thanks for some favor I did on his behalf. He sent me a lovely mortal slave to keep house for me. Sigyn was of Midgard, though she was born on Alfheim. Her mother had been captured illegally by an elf who was conducting his underground business in Midgard. The woman had been with child, but the elf had not noticed (or had not cared) and he captured her and brought her to Alfheim with him. She bore the child there and raised her among the elves. When the child grew to womanhood, the chief who owned the mother, sent her to me.

"I could not refuse for, to refuse such a gift, would have been terribly offensive but neither did I wish for her company. She proved a quiet, capable little thing and minded her own business admirably. She kept a garden and sang to herself and cooked and cleaned and tended me without my interference and so I let her be.

"Though simple and illiterate, she was determined to be happy with her lot in life and she had a natural kindness about her where she could not stand to see a sparrow felled without shedding tears and seeking to intervene. She constantly sought to bring kindness and good to those around her-including to me.

"Until this point, she merely kept my cottage for me, tended my affairs when I was away, and made sure the fire was warm and food prepared when I returned. She never knew my real name or position. After Angrboda's death, I returned a man lost and distraught and, with her large heart, she could not bear to see me sad and made it her personal mission to bring me comfort.

"She succeeded. In the depths of my grief, she shone through as warm as sunshine. Many a late night, she held me as I wept and sang to me till I slept. When I woke, she listened day and night as I spoke of the woman I had lost, the brother I felt betrayed me, and the children I would never know. She planted a tree in honor of each and remembered each their names. She never required anything of me but simply granted me her gentle presence and smiled with her brilliant smile that seemed to fill the entirety of that cottage.

"Within a few years, I shook the earth with my grief less and less. She kept the serpent's venom from dripping upon my heart and scorching my soul and I immersed myself in her heart as large as an ocean, the calm simplicity of her spirit, and the warmth of her bosom. I feared I would lose it all one day when she told me she was with child. I barely slept for months, despite her assurances, for she said I had naught to worry over. I was afraid that she would also be stolen by the serpent as surely as Angrboda had been.

"Within a matter of months, she gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy and, despite my fears, the boy lived and grew quickly and grew strong. His mortal blood proved strong and so he grew much quicker than an Aesir child. A few years later and she gave me a second son.

"Jane, they were so beautiful. My family. I can't express the joy of waking up to their small hands upon my face, their voices calling my name, and Sigyn's quiet songs filling the kitchen. I have never been so happy or at peace.

"But it could not last. Even as I could feel the shortness of their mortal lives pressing upon me and threatening to steal my breath away with theirs, I received a call from Asgard that my time of mourning should be long since passed and I was to return to my duties. I fought the All-Father on it as hard as I could and he blamed me for 'shirking my responsibilities to play with my magic.'

"It was during this time that all travel to Midgard had been abolished and all dalliances with mortals made a punishable offence. I dared not share with whom I truly spent my days for fear that I would be permanently separated from them. So, I kept them secret, and I slipped away from Asgard whenever I could. I could not help but feel bitter as silly quest after silly quest called me away from them-sometimes for as long as a year or two at a time. I felt no desire for politics but simply sought to finish things as quickly as possible so I could return home. This led to my effective ways of solving problems being seen as 'dishonorable' because I sought efficacy over honor. But when they called me to solve a problem, solve it I did. I felt a tool, a disposable object in the hands of Asgard-to be used and then thrown away as required.

"My heart truly sought to be at home on Alfheim and I was often castigated for my ill humors when at home in Asgard. I was also accused of having an unnatural desire to practice my magic instead of pursuing warriors' skills on Asgard. They never knew it was not the sort of magic that they thought which led me to Alfheim.

"The first day I saw Sigyn had grown grey hair, I nearly wept and refused to return to Asgard ever again. I sought as many magical charms and spells I could to maintain her life. It worked. I extended her life for two hundred years and our children lasted a few hundred longer. But even I cannot stop mortality and she succumbed to the jaws of the serpent at last and then I felt my heart truly break.

"Who would stop the venom from striking my soul then? Who would keep the nightmares away? No, the vicious poison, the depth of mortality and loss would slash through my soul and I would shake the grounds with my cries.

"All Alfheim heard me weep the night Sigyn took her last breath in my arms and joined the halls of her ancestors. I sat under her trees for months, refusing to speak or eat until my sons forced me out of my grief. They filled my arms with their children and, later, their grandchildren and I could not succumb entirely to grief with the small hands and full smiles of my descendants filling my heart.

"I lost count of the generations that followed. Their days grew longer as they mixed blood with elves and Vanir and Aesir and Jotnar. They could never be aristocracy but I always felt they were happier as they were-people of the land and forests and streams. But my duties in Asgard grew heavy and my visits to Alfheim grew fewer and fewer and I doubt any of my kin who know my face remain and so I stayed on Asgard."

"Did you ever tell your family?" Jane asked.

"Never. For a prince to take as wife a mortal and a slave is a shame such as none would allow, especially in light of the All-Father's banishment of such behaviors. After Thor gallivanted so freely across the realms, Odin spoke so harshly of such alliances that I never dared speak of my own and thus bring even more ire and shame upon myself than I already experienced.

"My family on Alfheim also remained oblivious to my identity. I never spoke a word of my kin to my mortal woman or her children."

"Why?"

"For what reason? Nothing sours a relationship as politics and power and ambition. I wished for peace and that is what we had. We would have had naught but turmoil and shame if I brought her with me to Asgard."

"I am guessing it would not have gone well if Thor brought me back with him to Asgard," Jane observed.

Loki smirked. "I would not assume so."

"So what happened then?"

"Ah, yes. There was little else for me to do. I threw myself into the game of politics, for it is all a game, you know. I sought to do as they all wished of me. They wished me to play the game, the game I would play. I knew the hypocrisy of the Aesir court and delighted to expose it. But it is an empty, meaningless game and one which no one can truly win. Courtiers sought my bed simply to gain favor and power. They scorned me as a person but loved my position. They spoke words of praise to my face and then words of scorn behind closed doors in order to curry favor. It is an ugly game which I would avoid entirely if I could, but I determined that if I could not escape it, I would play it better than all the others."

"It sounds like a game of chess but with people's lives."

"Indeed, it is. But that is politics. Are you wishing to argue that Midgard is any different? Lady Jane, even I have read enough of your history to know that is certainly not the case. Your particular era and history may place less emphasis on royalty and bloodline and marital alliances, but yours is in the minority, even on Midgard. You have lived but in one place and in one era and can hardly speak for all Midgard.

"Among those of royalty, more politics are accomplished in the bedchamber than the council room. What cannot be accomplished with an edict or treaty can often be accomplished through bloodline. I tired of being sought as a political tool, a stepping stone to achieve the great ambitions of some courtier or another. They came with warm bodies and cold hearts, ready to use and be used if it would further their great and mighty aims. Many a courtier sought to warm my bed simply in an attempt to gain a claim to my brother's-though I often proved a consolation prize again if that failed as at least I proved adequate boasting material among their comrades."

"Umm, wow."

"Sigyn never saw me as that. True, because of her station and rank, she was hardly free to refuse or make alternate choices, but her bed proved free of politics. She sought to please me and show her devotion and such simplicity proved invaluable. In Alfheim, I farmed, learned to garden, learned to work with my hands, and lived predominately as a commoner. In many ways, it suited me better than all the gilded halls of Asgard.

"When I was forced to return to Asgard, I found myself in the middle of the webs on intrigue and power grabbing and politics and it was as if the life were sucked from my bones. I chose to refrain from further political marriages…but as a prince of Asgard, any marriage would, of course, be political and I did not want to wonder if possible brides sought me or my position. After another such incident where a courtier who had sought me was discovered in the bed of my brother, I decided to refrain from true relational connection.

"I gained more compassion for my first wife the day I saw my skin turn Jotun blue. I understood her rage, her fear, her madness, her doubts, her self-loathing. I understood how quickly she could descend into madness. And she was only partially Jotun. I sought to prove my worth, to prove the opposite, as quickly as I could and when it became apparent that I failed, I sought her same path of relief. I sought to end it all but I even failed at that. Instead I found myself trapped to a monster who sought to kill half the Nine Realms…and he sought the Tesseract from Midgard. If I chose not to go, he would go himself, and he would delight in nothing more than killing billions.

"I could not so dishonor the memory of my beloved Sigyn by letting that fate fall upon her people. I sought to defeat Thanos. Thanos will come to Midgard. That is a surety. If I chose not to attack Midgard, more lives would have been lost. If I chose to win through Thanos' pathetic plan, he would still come. And if I lost, Asgard could intervene and protect Midgard. But then Midgard chose to intervene and crown me as their reluctant ruler."

Jane remained silent for some time as they continued through the halls.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," she finally said.

He nodded without meeting her gaze. Speaking so directly and openly felt as foreign and exposed as seeing his Jotun skin.

"You never told me why you chose Wakanda," Jane said some minutes later. "I mean, I understand the usefulness of this location, however, you didn't seem to know much more about it then I did when we first arrived."

Loki gave her a half smile in appreciation of her shrewd observation. "Indeed, I did not. I was given a set of coordinates by a mysterious prophet who foresaw my future movements before any other could have known how events on Midgard would enfold. The coordinates were left with Mrs. Johnson and given to me on the first day I met the good lady."

"That's how you met Mrs. Johnson," Jane said, as if finally solving a great mystery to herself. "I wondered about that."

Loki nodded.

"Wait-so the coordinates were to the country itself or to a particular location within Wakanda?"

Loki opened and closed his mouth once before he shook his head. "I suppose they were to a particular location within Wakanda," he said. "Before you ask me which location, I should admit I had not thought of the coordinates again until you mentioned them. I have been so caught up with gaining entry to the country and with all that has occurred since we have arrived, that I assumed that was their purpose."

Jane's eyes burned with her curiosity. "So, you don't know where they lead to exactly?"

"Nay. Somewhere deep within Birnin Zana," he answered. "Not far from the marketplace and the great mosque on one of the main thoroughfares. I have neglected to discover the exact endpoint they refer to."

"Can we…?" Jane asked and stopped when she saw Loki nod his assent. He chuckled to himself when he saw her corresponding enthusiasm to solve another mystery.

"And you don't know anything about who gave them to you?"

"Precious little."

"That's crazy!"

"I am indebted to the foresight of my benefactor for the directions have proven fortuitous in many ways."

They emerged from the final doorway of the tunnel and found Shuri waiting for them with a stern look on her face, as if a mother scolding her children. She took on more the appearance of the child as her stern look morphed into a pout.

"You two went to play science without me!" she complained. "What did you do?"

"Another alien power source," Jane said with a shrug. She laughed at Shuri's offended face in response. "He's had it the whole time and forgot to tell us. We'll play with it in the lab this week."

"Of course he did. Prince Loki probably has the key to immortality hidden somewhere from us as well," she said with an eye roll.

Loki didn't answer. Instead he gave a magnanimous bow that was dripping with too obvious charm and a wide smile. "In apology for our oversight, Princess, would you care to accompany us on another quest?"

Shuri considered him dubiously and turned to Jane with one eyebrow raised. She pointed her head in Loki's direction in a silent question.

"He also forgot to tell us that he was directed to a specific location in Birnin Zana by a mysterious prophet months ago. We are going to find the specific location."

"I see….and you require a Wakandan chaperone to do so," she said in slight disappointment.

"Partially," Loki responded truthfully. "You cannot deny your curiosity to discover the end result is as great as Dr. Foster's."

Shuri attempted indifference for another minute-at least until Loki produced the original message he received from Mrs. Johnson and shared its origin with her. Then her dark eyes grew intent and bright as she calculated within her busy mind the exact end points of the coordinates. She whispered to herself as she thought over it. Then she shook her head and grinned.

"_Sawa, sawa. Twende_," she said. "I will take you there, but I do not think you fill find the end location very exceptional."

"You know where it goes?" Jane said. "Tell me!"

"And miss seeing your face when we arrive? _Hapana, daktari,"_ Shuri replied. "Let us go."

Eyes and whispers followed their movements all through the bustling streets of the city after they emerged from one of the underground tunnels near the marketplace. Two streets away, they came to stop before a two story, rectangular brick building with a busy delivery dock and a number of patrons coming and going from the glass entryway and into a wide, tiled lobby lined with counters.

"Welcome to Birnin Zana's headquarters for postal communications and commerce," Shuri said dryly.

"Wait, is this like a post office?" Jane asked as she struggled to read the Kikanda script in large letters over the door. People walked by them carrying boxes of letters or packages and they gave the visitors wary looks as they came and went.

Shuri nodded.

"The coordinates are quite precise," Shuri said. "They lead to a location within this building."

"You've got to be kidding me," Jane said and Shuri burst into giggles.

ooooo

* * *

_Author's Note: Alas, this story should probably be discarded and thrown out a window. It's nearing a year in production and each new chapter receives less and less response, which tells me it is not really resonating with readers. However, as I have a bunch of future chapters already written, I want to get through them. Maybe I can cut out some subplots and tie it up quicker just to cross it off as "done" on my bucket list and retire from the "Thor" world for awhile. _

_This is the last "background/world-making" chapter for a bit. We are back into moving the plot forward. _

_Translations: Sawa sawa: Ok_

_Twende: let's go_

_Hapana daktari: no doctor_


	32. Chapter 32: Time

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 32: Time**

* * *

Guards and post office patrons made way in reverence as they saw their princess enter the post office. She spoke a few low words to the very concerned clerk who rushed towards them as they entered. He nodded and led them into a large room adjoining the lobby. This room was lined from ceiling to floor with locked grey metal boxes, each labeled with a computerized orange and black Kikanda script. Shuri thanked the clerk who gave her an obsequious nod of his head and profuse words of being "at her service." Shuri tapped away at her handheld computerized tablet again only to shrug and show it to Loki.

"This is it," she said as she pointed to the coordinates on a map of the city. "This is as far as it takes us. Somewhere in this room."

"That's rather anticlimactic," Jane responded with pursed lips. She furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she walked around the room and stared at the Kikanda labels on each of the boxes. "Is there at least a secret underground crypt or a catacomb or buried treasure or something?"

Shuri snorted and shook her head. "There's an underground parking lot below us. Perhaps you will discover something more mysterious in the boot of an automobile."

Loki considered the room carefully before he gave a disgusted groan. "If I had my magic, I could search the room in a moment. How do we begin to determine what we are supposed to find here? Or do we assume it is random coincidence that the coordinates lead here?"

"You expect me to believe you think this is a coincidence?" Shuri responded with a skeptical glance at the prince.

Loki merely closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he concentrated.

"I can tell you it's not a coincidence," Jane said with her eyes closed. She opened them again to stare back into the unremarkable room. "I know, I know. Not a lot of help, but I can tell there's a reason."

Loki considered Jane again before half of his mouth quirked up in a smile. "Lady Jane, we have come to this location to dig under the ground below us," he stated.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, Loki."

His smile crept across his entire mouth then. "We have come to seek something from one of these boxes."

"Yes," she said with a shrug and she began to trace her hands along the mail boxes again, curiosity burning in her fingers. "But don't you dare start asking me about each box to identify which one."

"You do not need magic, you only need Jane," Shuri said with a laugh. "Let us look at these boxes. I will take the east wall. Prince Loki, you search through the west wall. Jane-use my translator on my scanner and take the north wall. We can meet at the southern wall if our search till then gives nothing."

Loki considered Jane again. "Dr. Foster, close your eyes," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"I wish to test something."

She complied, but slightly reluctantly.

"Feel through this room with your new senses. Can you feel anything unusual? Anything that calls to you?"

She inhaled deeply, but kept her eyes closed and tilted her head to one side. She gave a step in one direction before she stopped and opened her eyes again. Loki scoffed when he saw she now carried Mjolnir in a backpack. She pulled the hammer out and closed her eyes again. She carried the hammer as if she were dousing for water instead of searching through hundreds of post office boxes. Her mouth whispered unspoken words as she walked slowly across the room and turned in a full circle. The blue aura that surrounded her was as slight as a veil of lace until her eyes flew open and she banged her hand against one box so hard, she left an imprint of her hand in its metal face.

"Here," she said. "This one is not the same. There's something…familiar…and very, very powerful."

Shuri read the label and laughed. "Oloki Othino. If an Mkanda clerk received a phone call to make a post office box for a 'Loki Odinson,' that is a close interpretation of how to write it," Shuri said. "I will speak with the mail clerk again."

When the clerk returned following after Shuri, he remained ruffled and nervous in his manner as he scanned the label with a device and tapped through a database.

"This was created by a businessman who returned home to Birnin Zana from New York over a year ago," the mail clerk said. "It has not been opened since. It has received no packages."

"Open it," Shuri commanded after giving Loki a knowing glance. The clerk obeyed the command of the princess and gave a startled gasp when the box held a small parcel within in. The clerk stammered slightly as he checked is database records again.

"It should be empty," he said. "It has received no incoming mail."

The clerk pulled small parcel out of the mail box. It was wrapped in a layer of brown paper and a single scrawled line of direction was upon its square face.

"It isn't possible," the mail clerk said as he shifted nervously on his feet. "There are no stamps, no address, to return address, no international postal seal. We do not allow our post office to be used as a safe deposit box. My apologies for this breach in policy, princess. I guarantee you I will see that the situation is remedied immediately…."

He was prevented from finishing his apology by a wave of Shuri's hand.

"It is for him," Shuri said as she took the package from the unfortunate clerk and read the label for a second time. She handed it to the Asgardian who stared at it dumbstruck. "Loki Odinson. He is the one."

Loki inhaled a startled gasp as he held the package in his hands. He could feel the traces of magic lingering on the outer package, though faint, but it could not compare to the feeling of power emanating from within.

"Let us return to the palace," he said as he thrust the package into a pocket. He felt nervous being so exposed with such an object, even in a location as well-protected as Birnin Zana. In case it was what he hardly dared to hope it was, he would not open it here.

Ooooo

* * *

"Wait, you're telling me someone mailed an Infinity Stone in a package and it's just been sitting in a mail box for the past year?" Jane said as she paced Loki's room. Goose trailed in and out of her footsteps, rubbing its orange body against her feet and nearly tripping her as she ignored its quest for her attention. "No. I can tell that's not what happened."

Loki stared at the green and gold relic he held in his hand as if it were speaking to him. He barely heard Jane's musings.

"It couldn't have been mailed," Shuri interjected. "Maybe the creator of the post office box placed it in there to keep it?"

"No," Loki said. "There are traces of magic on the casing. Whoever the soothsayer is who sent me those coordinates also must be adept at magic. It is a wonder for such spells take more years to perfect than even three Midgardian life spans would allow."

"You are certain the prophet is human?" Shuri asked.

Loki shook his head to show his uncertainty. "If the prophet is not of Midgard, then their skills at concealment rival even mine and we should be wary."

Goose sniffed at the relic in Loki's hand and licked it before turning a curious gaze onto the Asgardian. Loki pushed the flerkin aside with his elbow. Goose gave a hiss and such an expression of affronted dignity that Shuri stifled a giggle. Loki continued to analyze each swirl and crevice on the casing of the stone and he pursed his lips as he considered it.

"It's been here, on Earth, this whole time," Loki finally said in tone of wonderment. "It is little wonder Thanos was so keen on acquiring this little realm. Who would be so foolish as to keep two Infinity Stones within the same realm…and then leave it so defenseless?"

Jane rolled her eyes and grumbled something about "patronizing Asgardians."

"I believe you are correct again, Lady Jane," Loki remarked in a tone that hid whether he meant to speak out loud or not. "The metal casing on this stone is made of Uru."

"What does that mean?" Jane asked.

"Its casing was forged on Asgard," he said. His gaze left the strange necklace and met hers again. "I cannot help but assume that both the Tesseract and this Eye of Agamotto were hidden on Earth by Asgard."

She considered this carefully and then nodded. His sharp intake of breath was his only response as he placed his fist under his chin and considered the relic again.

"I am beginning to wonder if there are more reasons to Asgard's keen desire to prevent the other realms from meddling with Midgard than I originally was told," he said.

"You think Asgard wanted to do more than, what did you call it? Protect nature?" Jane said.

He nodded. "If Asgard wished to hide two Infinity Stones on Midgard, the short-lived, magically inept peoples of Midgard could hardly recognize their value or wield them to the same level of destruction as the peoples of the other realms," he mused. "If unused or rarely used, their power would remain muted and would not act as a beacon to herald their location to the other realms. If none from the other realms were permitted entry to these lands, these relics would remain safer still."

"What Stone is this?" Shuri asked.

"Time," Loki responded. "The tales say this one has the power to change time."

Both women's mouths fell open and they turned to face the Asgardian prince.

"Are you telling me that this Stone could be used to see into the past or the future or to change the past and the future?" Jane asked. She ceased her pacing to sit by Loki on the couch where he remained unmoving for a few moments longer, uncharacteristically unraveled by what he held in his hands.

"Yes, Jane," he said and his eyes remained on the elliptical gem. "It can do it all."

She inhaled loudly and dropped her eyes to stare at the small relic in his hands warily.

"Can it be destroyed the same way as the other one?" she asked.

"In theory, yes."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"It's not that simple…," he began. "Don't you understand? This changes everything!"

"Exactly-this changes everything! We don't want to change everything, do we?" she answered.

"But I can fix it," Loki responded in an unusually contrite voice. He earnestly leaned forward and took her hand as he spoke. "I can change everything. This is my opportunity to makes things right."

"How so?"

"Jane, I could bring Thor back. I could make it so New York never happened and none died. I could turn back the effects of The Fall and put Midgard back together, as if nothing ever changed. I could make it so I never sent the Destroyer to New Mexico or turned the Bifrost onto Jotunheim, never fell into the Void, never planted the idea to defy the All-Father's commands into Thor's ear. Don't you see? This is our answer to fixing everything!" He said and his voice grew in excitement as he spoke.

She startled at that before her brow furrowed and she replied only with, "No, Loki."

His eyes grew large with anger and he pulled away from her as if she had stung him. Jane shook her head and decided to explain further after she carefully considered her next words. "If you changed it all, you do not necessarily know it would be better. What if it actually made things worse?"

"Then I could go back and fix it again. Don't you see? I can go into the future or into the past and make sure everything comes out as it ought. With this small trifle, I could search out every possible future to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved and I could change all the unnecessary mistakes of the past. Jane, you could go back to being as you were!"

"And allow you to remake the world into the image of Loki…in the image of Jane?"

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Yes!"

"Why?" he asked, perplexed.

"Can't you see? It never ends! There's always something to change, to shift, to adjust until soon you are like Thanos-trying to restore the universe to your own perceived idea of what it ought to be according to yourself."

"I am not Thanos," Loki spat back angrily.

"Then don't strive to behave like him! Don't you see? This is your chance to prove you are _not _him-to willingly let go off the chance to be in control. Maybe that's what the Stones are for-elements that man was never meant to control because it does something to you when you try. When you try to control them, it twists something in you….and it ends up controlling you….and makes you into something you were never meant to be."

"Is there no way that Loki can do right? Am I doomed to only bring evil and not good?" he said in a distraught, simmering exasperation. "Jane, you castigated me after New York and now again as I seek to remedy it. Asgard sought to avoid direct war, but when Loki makes that happen, I am seen a villain. Don't you see? Thor would come back. The hero, the true king, your beloved, could come and save the day for you and for all Midgard as he was always meant to. Would not that be a more glorious, fitting end?"

"Maybe not," Jane said quietly as she knelt to force him to meet her gaze. "What if Thor isn't the one we need this time? What if all this is so much bigger and grander and more complicated than any one of us can comprehend-even you with your crazy, alien brain and me with my supernaturally altered one."

Loki closed his eyes to avoid her piercing, knowing stare and fought to maintain his stoicism, at least externally. However, internally, losing the ability to end all this, to bring Thor back, it was as if he had to let his brother die again-and at his own hand again-and he could not bear it. He opened his eyes when he felt a pressure on his lap and he saw Goose curling up on him with a resounding purr.

Shuri, who had remained silent during their exchanged, cleared her throat. "Prince, if this Stone has the power to change the past, could it be used to bring back the other Stones?"

Loki's face shot up in surprise as he considered her words.

"Take it," he whispered to Jane as he kept his gaze fixed on Shuri. He closed his eyes again. "I dare not hold onto it for a moment longer. Take it and destroy it in the same manner you destroyed the Mind Stone. Do so without a moment's delay."

He thrust the relic into her hands and did not speak again. Shuri and Jane, seeing his need for solitude, left him with none but Goose for comfort as they made their way out of the palace and into the gardens.

The whole palace felt it when the power of Mjolnir collided with that of the Time Stone and pulverized the relic into an ocean of miniscule green shards in the grass outside the palace. As Loki felt the air change around him with the demise of yet another stone, he buried his head in his hands and tried to think of anything else-anything except his momentary and now extinguished hope of seeing his brother again, of gaining the forgiveness of his mother or any chance of gaining acceptance in Asgard again.

Ooooooooooooo

* * *

_Author's note: so I had like five different ways that the Ancient One hid the Time Stone. All were much more epic. However, I liked this decidedly less epic version better. :)__Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Really- you keep this story going. _


	33. Chapter 33: Accomplices

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 33: Accomplices**

* * *

Dr. Okapi flashed a light into the eyes of his patient as Loki watched the progress from the shadows. The myriad of tubes and machines were noticeably absent, though that was of little consequence in comparison with the most obvious change. The Winter Soldier sat upright on the bed of his own accord, as quietly as if hewn of granite. The rise and fall of his chest beneath his hospital gown and the occasional blinking of his eyelids were the only evidence that revealed him to be flesh and blood-and very much alive.

"How do you feel?" Dr. Okapi asked.

The man, at first, didn't appear to understand. He opened and closed his mouth and stared at the doctor. Then he shrugged his good shoulder.

"Ok," he answered.

"Do you know your name?"

At first the man shook his head but changed his mind and nodded. "Bucky," he whispered.

"Do you know where you are?"

"No."

The doctor nodded and wrote notes in his digital chart. "You are in the nation of Wakanda. You have been here for nearly ten months."

"Why am I here?" he asked. He used his one hand to brush the long, tangled hair out of his now normal human eyes.

"To make your mind your own again," Dr. Okapi said. "You wish to be free of your Hydra programming?"

Bucky nodded slowly and placed his hand against his head as if he could feel through his fingertips whether his cure was successful or not. "Why? Do you know what I have done?"

"Enough," the doctor said.

"Then why?" Bucky asked, his gaze turning intense until he dropped his eyes from the face of the doctor to stare at his palm.

Loki emerged from the shadows, as if materializing from another realm, and he gave the soldier an imperious, haughty stare before turning away from him and pacing the space in front of the bed with his hands clasped behind his back.

"You have potential to be useful, but only if you so choose to be," Loki said. "You did not choose your fate of your own free will, but have been an unwilling tool in the hands of others."

Bucky's sharp intake of breath and heated glare at the prince's appearance was a marked contrast to his previously nearly unnatural stillness.

"You!" he said in a tone that showed both recognition and irritation. "I know you!"

Loki stopped pacing to give a menacing grin. "Indeed?" he asked.

"You…you…you…," Bucky said in accusation before he visibly deflated. "You stole my mind in a different way than the others."

"Yes. You proved quite a useful ally," Loki answered. "I would thank you for your services, but I dare not for services rendered unwillingly."

"You…made me dance a jig in front of thousands of people on the lawn of the National Mall in D.C.!" he accused.

"Would it appease you to know you made a splendid dancer?" Loki replied with a smug, non-repentant grin.

"It would not…ok, it might help a little….and as far as things I've been forced to do over my long life, it probably isn't the worst….but why?"

Loki gave a lazy flick of his hands. "I was bored. The little Midgardians needed something to gossip over that was not so full of gloom. It amused me."

Bucky grimaced for a moment before his face broke into quiet, rusty laughter.

"You brought me here?" he asked as he returned to his more stoic expression.

"Yes."

"Where are the others?"

"Unlike you, they chose their fates. Without their enthrallment, they ceased to be useful," Loki replied.

"What happens now?" Bucky asked after he considered Loki's words.

"You may choose what happens to you next," Loki answered. "I assume you remember the tumultuous state of your realm?"

Bucky slowly nodded.

"Good. The king and prince of Wakanda will inquire with you further on how you wish to live out your days. It is of little consequence to me, so long as you are not impeding my aims."

Dr. Okapi stepped in again and interjected. "I need to run more tests and you still have a ways to go before we know if you are fully healed. However, we will want to relocate you to a different environment so you are not trapped in a medical facility day and night."

As Dr. Okapi began to outline the continuing treatment and various options for his recuperation, Loki bid them both farewell and left to attend his next tasks.

In the lab, Jane and Shuri were both huddled over the Ice Casket with long goggles on their faces and shared whispers between them. Jane's increasing mastery of Mjolnir and her own new gifts were evidenced by both the harmless destruction of the Time Stone, and her recent discoveries on the capabilities of the Jotun treasure.

They sat upright and removed their goggles when they saw Loki enter the lab.

"How is he?" Shuri asked.

"Awake," Loki responded.

Shuri bubbled over with her predictable curiosity. "I will visit him soon," she said with a dimpled grin. "I wish to speak with him."

"Of course you do," Loki said with a half-smile and a slight roll of his eyes. "Now, tell me, is it ready?"

Jane shook her head. "Almost. A few more days at most. It really is amazing," she answered. "I wish we could make it work on us."

"It would appear my natal physiology has at least one benefit," Loki answered in slightly caustic tone. "I will be away for the better part of the week. When I return, we will try it again."

"Tell Mrs. Johnson 'hi' for us," Jane answered.

"I do. Every time."

Ooooooo

* * *

The flurries of the first autumn snow settled on the ruined remains of the skyscraper Loki sat upon. While the outskirts of New York were encroaching ever further into the scarred city with life and newness, the heart of the city remained an echo of the battle, even fifteen months later. It would take generations and not years for this land to truly heal. Loki could still feel the dark magic festering in the land and waters, poisoning the organic creatures within and causing invisible sicknesses which would only be recognized years later. This repercussions of the Battle of New York would be felt in the blood and genes of all who dwelt here for generations, long after the cityscape was rebuilt and the rubble removed.

Loki paced on his perch with the Kree transponder in hand and the Flerkin trailing him in the snow. His last three conversations had born little fruit other than initial communications. This one he hoped to be more promising. He was disappointed.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" Loki shouted at the transmission. The Collector's grainy and translucent image flickered from the device. Taneleer Tivan's slightly off kilter manner and compulsion to surround himself with his ever-growing collection had always unsettled Loki. In all the times he had been forced to attend dealings in Knowhere, he couldn't dispel the feeling that he needed to change his clothes or wipe his mind after stepping foot in the cluttered space filled with relics both living and dead.

As much as he disliked the man, Loki reluctantly sought him out again and again for his usefulness. None knew the Collector's age, though whispers circulated it was because he was without a beginning. His knowledge of the universe was unparalleled. Now in the projected image, the Collector moved as if automated by robotic parts instead of flesh. He smacked his lips together and twiddled his fingers in mock patience as he took in the Asgardian prince's ire.

"You are not the only one in pursuit of this relic, your majesty. Thanos also seeks it."

"This I know. What of it?" Loki hissed.

"Thanos has no shortage of servants, oh prince. Ronan the Accuser and his army of Sakaaran soldiers attacked Knowhere even as I sought to acquire the object for you. My broker contacted me from Xandar to inform me that not one but two Ravager clans had been in pursuit of the Orb and only one proved successful. The broker informed me that after a great battle on Xandar, the Orb is now in the custody of Nova Corps and hidden in their vault."

"I thought you said Yondu Odonta was reliable," Loki hissed.

"Yondo's protégée has proved less easily bought and persuaded, my liege."

Loki grumbled under his breath before reminding himself to maintain his mask. "I am grateful for the information, Collector. You will receive your compensation from the next emissary of Asgard who visits Knowhere."

He switched off the transponder even as the Collector gave another profuse bow and a grin that did not dispel Loki's suspicions. While knowledgeable and well-connected, he did not put it past the Collector to double or triple cross him in his search for the Infinity Stones. Still, he had proved useful.

"Fine. I will fetch it myself," he said to himself as he put the transponder away.

At least Loki had a starting point for the next Stone…and with Jane and Shuri's work, he had the means to reach Xandar, hopefully before Thanos. The thought that he could possibly cross paths with the Mad Titan in his search left him ill-at-ease, especially with the knowledge that Thanos' feelings towards Loki would not have improved with the destruction of three Infinity Stones. Without a more tolerable plan, this one must do.

Ooooooooo

* * *

Loki sought an audience with the Wakandan royals three days later upon his return to Wakanda. T'Chaka sat behind his massive ebony desk with his wrinkled brow pursed in thought as Loki entered the king's private office adjoining the council chamber. T'Challa stood beside a tall window, his gaze transfixed on the minarets towering over a distant edge of Birnin Zana. Shuri sat in a chair across from her father and she watched Loki with an unreadable expression on her face.

"How long will you be away?" T'Chaka asked after Loki shared his intended journey to Xandar.

"I know not," Loki said. He sat tall in a carved acacia chair and met the king's gaze with his own. "I am unsure of what conditions I will find there. The planet is far outside the jurisdiction of Asgard and the Nine. Attempting to pilfer an Infinity Stone guarded in one of the most formidable fortresses on this side of the Milky Way is not a task to be overconfident in."

"You do not wish for companionship or assistance?" T'Chaka asked.

"Indeed, I have come to ask for assistance, though not in my journey," he said.

"Then in what?"

"In the affairs on Midgard. It has not escaped my attention that Wakandan emissaries are well-positioned in each of the polities that were thrust into instability following the Fall. It is a strange coincidence how they so fortuitously appeared in each and every location within a few weeks of my arrival in Wakanda. However, they have proven their usefulness in the potential for disorder that follow the destruction of the Mind Stone's spell, so I will not pry into their origins. Their concerted efforts have maintained the rebuilding efforts admirably."

T'Chaka did not answer directly. He clasped his hands together on his desk and nodded in silence.

"My request," Loki continued, "is for their continuance in their leadership roles in each of the locations they oversee. In my absence, the rebuilding of Midgard must continue. While I am loathe to abandon my duties, if Thanos retrieves the Stone first, he will have no qualms to use the Stone to the detriment of many."

T'Chaka nodded.

"My final request," Loki continued and he turned to face the princess instead of the king. "Is to ensure Goose does not follow me."

Shuri raised both eyebrows in reply. Loki knew she could manage the Flerkin and keep the beast from shadowing his steps across the universe. While the Flerkin had proved its worth as an admirable battle companion, he could not be sure the effects of Ice Casket travel on any not of Jotunheim. In addition, he wished for none to face the Mad Titan if it could at all be helped. While it left him vulnerable as a solitary warrior was not as well protected, he felt it to be for the best.

"Has my soldier requested asylum within your borders?" he asked.

"He has. He is learning to farm down by the lake," T'Chaka said.

"To farm?" Loki replied with a slight scoff. "He is an admirable fighter. In addition to training with the Dora Milaje, the Lady Jane should also seek him out for his assistance in her training as a shield maiden."

"You believe a fight is coming," T'Challa observed. He turned from the window and paced the room to stand beside where his sister sat.

"Three Infinity Stones remain. I know the location of one. No realm will be safe until all three have been vanquished. Even then, as long as Thanos remains, he will not rest until he has accomplished his purpose."

"Our forces will also double their training and drills in preparation," T'Chaka answered solemnly. "Will you seek the assistance of Asgard?"

Loki fell pensive as he considered the question. He could not avoid how the thought of facing his people and his parents sent a lightning bolt of dread through his gut, but in his quest for the Infinity Stones, Asgard could be of much use. He sighed and rubbed his temples with his long fingers.

"Perhaps," he said. He did not add his condition. _If I survive Xandar._

Ooooooooooooo

* * *

Nick Fury was in a terrible mood. It was bad enough that his toast was burnt in the morning and that his favorite socks had a hole in the left big toe. It went downhill from there. One of his agents misplaced a rather vital (and incriminating) document in a public coffee shop and another forgot to check in for a rendezvous and nearly caused an international incident in Italy.

Now, Nick flipped through the series of statements gathered during the strange investigation into Alexander Pierce and many other former agents and government officials. For months, there had been reports of slightly strange behavior until one day, a few months back, some kind of light switch turned on and the whole lot of them were blathering about mind control and Asgardian gods and being forced to be useful and helpful against their wills.

Overall, it pointed to a conclusion that Nick didn't like. He thought he'd seen Thor fairly regularly, but none of the reports mentioned the fair-haired Thunderer. No, more ominously, nearly all mentioned the slippery younger brother, the mysterious would-be conqueror of Earth who Fury thought was dead.

Even worse, a few statements mentioned this so-called God of Mischief shifted forms in front of them and wore a face not his own during some of their dealings. While he grumbled to himself as he admitted the fruit of the Asgardian's work was doubtlessly beneficial to the planet, and the blathering confessions of the minions of Pierce hardly painted their own motives in a positive light, he still didn't like it.

In the middle of a debrief with Maria Hill, Fury ground his teeth in frustration as he was interrupted by the arrival of an unknown visitor.

"You might want to talk to this one," Agent Jones said over the intercom. When the door to Fury's office opened, a tall, muscular man with braided hair falling across his forehead entered with a confident stride. The man wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt studded with glinting metal decorations. He gave Fury and Hill a self-assured once-over before seating himself in one of the office chairs across from Fury.

"Who the hell are you and why are you in my face?" Fury said as he narrowed his one eye at the visitor in obvious irritation. The man took long to answer, but out of an obvious desire to sow tension and not out of nervousness.

"I know who was behind the Fall and who is trying to conquer the planet," the man finally said with a cocky half-smile.

"And who might that be?" Fury asked. He leaned forward on his desk to glare at the young man. The man remained nonplussed and instead took a paperweight off of Fury's desk to toss into the air. He gave a wide grin that lit up his dark eyes as he saw Fury's expression darken.

"Each and every single conquered country received a mysterious ambassador from a single country…a country that refuses even your intelligence operatives intel into their operations or their technology. I have it on good authority that they have confirmed connections with hostile alien forces who have also sought to rule Earth. They are harboring the would-be ruler of earth as we speak. They wish to use the events of this year to conquer the rest of the world and bring it under their leadership," the man said. He pulled out a series of documents in a folder that he plopped on the desk in front of Fury.

Fury opened the folder and gave each document a cursory glance before staring at the man again.

"Who are you?"

"Eric Stevens, former Navy Seal and CIA Joint Special Operations Command ghost unit, sir. Sometimes I am referred to as 'Killmonger,'" he answered.

* * *

_Author's note: The Collector, the Orb, and the Ravagers all refer to the events of Guardians of the Galaxy 1._ _Yeah, I don't own that one either. ;) _


	34. Chapter 34: Power

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 34: Power**

* * *

Loki lay on his back with one hand shielding his eyes from the glare of the trio of bright Xandarian suns. Mud coated his parched lips and caked into the orifices of his many wounds.

Even with the aid of the Casket, it had taken nearly four long days (and three wrong turns) to travel to Xandar through the secret passageways. His final leg opened into a Xandarian marsh leaving him with another five days' journey across the immense planet to find the teeming capital to the far west. He had to admit-the Casket's capabilities were impressive, even as relatively understood as they still were to him. If not for the distasteful origin of the relic and the many duties he now carried, he would have enjoyed exploring its potential further. As it was, he appreciated the Casket's efficacy in increasing the range and sensitivity of his abilities of slipping through the fabric of the realms of the universe quickly and unnoticed.

Upon his arrive in Xandar, he immediately grimaced as the humidity washed over him like a steam bath and the murky stench of the algae-filled swamp pummeled his senses. Winged fish leapt between moss-covered trees and into the shallow waters of his feet hunting for insects while blue-gray reptilian_ karners_ floated on top of the water with the aid of the air-filled sacks in their bellies.

As the capital of the immense and powerful Nova Empire, Loki had traveled to the central metropolis build on the artificial atolls many times during his long years. The city itself was a technological marvel and a central gathering place for peoples from across the galaxies. While impressive in many ways, it was the muggy, oppressive heat that kept Loki from spending more time here than his duties required on each visit. Still, diplomacy paid no heed to personal preferences and climate and so he came back again and again to negotiate trade deals and better conditions for the small population of Yggdrasil's children that sought their fortunes outside the Nine.

As the marshlands morphed into soggy agricultural plains and fish farms, Loki took on the garb of an Asgardian merchant so as to not rouse suspicion. While the royalty of Asgard would hold little consequence to the peasants of this empire, he did not wish to risk recognition. He changed his face into that of an older Aesir man with slightly graying beard and mustache, weathered face, and blue eyes. Once he got past the sparsely populated farmlands and entered the bustling, densely populated urban areas, he would cast himself in invisibility.

He never made it that far. As he made his initial veiled inquiries into the now near-legendary battle between small contingents of Ravagers and Kree from some of the peasants working their farms, he failed to notice the eyes and ears following his movements. As he turned onto an uncommonly used road that would provide a more discrete route into the city, two dozen darkly-robed figured descended upon him without warning.

They were no more than common ruffians, opportunistic thieves who preyed on travelers, but Loki was out of earshot of any other life, hidden by a dense forest of fruit trees, and vastly outnumbered. His attackers were no trained warriors and Loki easily dispensed of half of them before one managed to land a shot with an _Olikerian_ laser gun and rendered him momentarily paralyzed. Another slipped a set of magic-inhibiting bracers on his wrists and then he was easy prey to their pillaging. The lack of belongings he carried and the high cost of their scuffle left his assailants in poor humor and they decided to take what they felt he owed them out of his flesh.

It was long before Loki regained consciousness again. When he did, he was alone. He was still next to the isolated road into the city, but travelers on this route would be few and far between. His clothing was gone save for a torn, bloody undershirt. His Kree transponder, Midgardian phone, all his hidden knives, and his remaining Aesir jewelry were all gone. Without his magic, his disguise (and all means for escape) were also beyond his reach.

His arms and legs were tightly bound and a dirty rag gagged his mouth. His bindings were unnecessary as the broken femur, fractured wrist, and sprained ankle alone would have made movement nearly impossible. The myriad of mud-caked, bleeding gashes that marred him from head to toe ensured he stayed motionless. His dizzy, throbbing head made him wonder just how much blood he had lost and if his skull had also received further injury. As it was, he could not so much as roll over, let alone escape the marsh vermin who crept ever fearlessly closer to him with a hungry gaze in their beady eyes.

As consciousness rolled in and out over him in waves, he could not differentiate between vivid dreams and wakefulness. Was it his imagination, or did he see his brother come and laugh at him for being taken so unawares?

When he saw a figure approaching on horseback, he praised the Norns for his good fortune and he knew he was saved. Of all the people who would come across him on the road, the first to come upon him would be a Vanir mercenary. Loki recognized the tell-tale armor and the physical attributes of the Aesir's cousin realm. Surely this man would assist him.

Loki's heart fell as the Vanir's face wrinkled in disgust and instead of approaching to give aid, the dishonorable man turned his horse around on the road to avoid passing Loki's resting place completely.

It was hours before more travelers came along the road. A low-flying vehicle driven by a Nova Corps government official approached. While low-ranking, he was still of high enough status to be of some import in the empire. The motors of the vehicle stopped nearby and Loki struggled to open his eyes to see the man alight from the craft. He grunted when the man poked him with his boot. Upon realizing that the prone figure was alive, the official startled and grimaced. He quickly flung a bottle of water and bag of bandages onto Loki's bound body. Then, before Loki could even summon the strength to ask for assistance, the vehicle's motor sounded and the government official was gone. At first, Loki hoped that meant the man would return soon with more assistance. His hopes never materialized, no matter how Loki watched the road on whence he traveled and wished for the sight of the vehicle returning.

Long hours passed as the three suns came closer and closer to vanishing for the long Xandarian night. It would be three Midgardian days before the light returned to drench these lands again and he was in no state to defend himself against the night predators that haunted these swamps in the darkness. As he struggled in vain against his bindings before falling into darkness again. When he woke next, a third traveler's footsteps crunched along the deserted road and startled away the scavenging animals that circled Loki hungrily.

"Eh? What be this?" a deep voice said. "Ye be far from home, little man and ye have had a time of it. Ye canna stay here through nightfall or the _gryerbews _will make quick work of ye."

Loki could barely summon the strength to open his eyes when he felt strong arms lift him from the ground. A figure, tall and immense towered over him. At first, all Loki could see was the threadbare gray robe and bone necklace the figure wore. Then he caught a flash of blue skin, bright red eyes, and felt cold rush through him at the palm that brushed his forehead. Loki gasped and struggled in vain to free himself but the panic cost him dearly and he fell back unconscious again.

Each time he woke in the following hours, his Jotun rescuer spoke little but occasionally hummed to himself. The strong arms failed to release him and the rhythmic footsteps lulled him asleep again and again as they traveled to a destination Loki feared to discover. The Jotun stopped at a small village on an atoll surrounded by fish farms.

The Jotun kicked open a metal door into an underground dwelling. He deposited his small burden onto an immense bed in one corner of the dark room and clapped his hands. A blue light glowed overhead and revealed the sparse furnishings, stone fireplace, and a wall covered with a fur tapestry. Overhead, a skylight adjusted to let in both day and night light from the world outside. The moons were just beginning to rise and their pale glow added to the Jotun's own light in the cool room. The Jotun spoke a few words in a whisper. Loki felt the magic sizzle through the room and it felt like a wave of ice washed through the room, cooling off the entire space to a temperature cool enough to freeze water.

The Jotun sorted through large chest in one corner and a box from below the bed until he gathered healing herbs, a wash basin, and fresh water. Then, as he hummed to himself, the Jotun used a myriad of healing arts to tend Loki's wounds. Loki was asleep before he finished.

ooooooo

* * *

Loki woke next to the smell of bubbling meat broth and the dancing fire light around the room. He was alone. He sat upright, dislodging the fur blanket that covered him, and he groaned. His cuts and abrasions were now healed, but his bones would take much longer to grow together, though they were now properly aligned and set within bindings. The paralyzing effects of the laser still lingered in his extremities so he could barely feel his limbs. The magical bindings remained on his wrists, even as all his other bindings were gone.

The metal door opened with an unceremonious clang and the Jotun entered the room with a bundle of fruit in his hands. He gave Loki a cursory nod and busied him around the hearth with the broth. As he worked, his skin changed from blue to pale ivory and his eyes changed from red to green. He stood nearly ten feet tall, wearing only a loin cloth now over his muscled frame, his nearly-shorn head covered in tattooed and scarred designs, as were his chest and arms. Instead of bony protrusions, one long braid fell from the back of his head down his back, woven with feathers and bone beads. Loki stared in fascination.

The Jotun came and brought the broth to where Loki lay.

"Drink this," he said in a deep, commanding voice.

Loki complied and drained the clay bowl of all its contents before he accepted a second.

"Easy now," the Jotun said. "Don't ye drink too fast now."

Loki cleared the second bowl and lay back on the bed again.

"You rest now, little man. You be safe here," the Jotun said.

Ooooo

* * *

Loki woke next to find a basket of Xandarian fruit and a mug of weak ale besides him. His host failed to return to the underground room for the better half of the day. Loki tried in vain to remove the magic-inhibiting bracers still binding his wrists. When the Jotun returned next, he tended Loki's bandages and changed out his splints.

"Ye will heal better if I remove these," the Jotun said as he pointed his long, sharp finger at the bracers. "I am a'trusting ye not to be so fool as to escape or fight me, little Aesir."

Loki nodded and visibly exhaled when the bracers were removed and he felt the free flow of magic through his veins again. He conjured fresh clothes for himself and a large pillow.

"Thank you….how shall I address you?" Loki asked.

"Ah, I be Skadmire of the Eastern Glaciers," he answered with a slight nod of his large head.

"You are a merchant here in Xandar?" Loki asked.

"Aye," Skadmire responded. "Though trade be long and cumbersome these days. I have dwelt in Xandar on and off for the better part of a thousand years now as I trade goods between empires."

"Your skin-you changed. How? Why?" Loki asked.

The Jotun laughed. "I do not think ye will best me as ye are now, as weak as a wee suckling ice hound. What need have I of me armor now in me own home?"

"Armor?"

"Aye. Of course. It protects me from the cold and from the weapons of me enemies and with it, I can wield the ice as me own."

"So, you are not always blue?"

"Of course not! Didna ye hear me? It's me armor. It blends in nicely during the dark seasons when we go to hunt or war and it lightens a bit during the brighter months to keep me well hid."

"But you look like an Aesir or Vanir…," Loki said with undisguised curiosity.

"Tchk, tchk, tchk," he clicked. "Dunna ye let the Jotnar hear ye say such blasphemy or they would skird ye belly with a pole of ice before ye can said _'lipernel._' We be taller, stronger, and more beautiful than those little bugs. And they know it. That is why they so fond of our womenfolk and fight so hard to steal them from us."

"They don't intermarry with your kind," Loki responded in both surprise and defensiveness.

Here the Jotun gave a hearty laugh and turned on him with an incredulous expression.

"Ye be but young still, but I thought all Aesir would know better-being that ye have half-blood folk in ye own royal family born of a daughter of Jotunheim."

"You must be mistaken," Loki responded.

"Nay, Aesir. I knew the All-Father's first wife meself. She was a great lady, sister of he who sat on the throne after Odin's firstborn daughter were finally chased off it. A much wiser, kinder, lovelier woman the realms have never seen. Around Utgaard, we say it be the fault of the Aesir blood that made her young 'uns so hot-headed and war-thirsty. We warn our womenfolk, these days we do, we say, 'Those little warriors may come with pretty bobbles and prettier words, but dunna ye be taken in by them. They give ye nothing but heartache and yer own babes will take ye heads and erase yer name after they've taken yer home and left it with naught but ice and tears.'"

Loki hesitated, considering carefully his next words before he asked them. "You are referring to Hela? Her dame was of Jotunheim and Hela reigned for a time on the throne off your land."

"But of course. All Odin's young 'uns have the blood of the Jotnar in their veins."

"You must be mistaken," Loki said. "Queen Frigga of Vanaheim bore Thor."

"Aye. As she bore you…dunna give me that look. I know who ye be the moment I laid eyes on ye bloody bones by the side o'the road," Skadmire said with a low chuckle. He laid a knife he was sharpening on the table and took a long draught of water from a tall ceramic jug. "As I were saying, the All-Mother

"No! I was stolen from the ice plains of Jotunheim. She bore Thor herself."

"I say it again, son of Odin. The All-Mother bore no babe to the house of Odin. It is true, you share no blood through Odin, but through Jord, his first wife, you are cousins with the lost prince, for Laufey was brother of Jord."

"You lie."

"Nay, Princeling. I see the All-Father has done the house of Laufey no justice in explaining the origins o' his children. Not that I blame him over much. Laufey were as good a king as an ice rock woulda been and he did the Jotnar no favors in following around the Asgardian wench of a queen as he did.

"All woulda been a better if we kept to ourselves and married our own and kept our noses outta the business of ye realm. All ye be trouble makers and rabble rousers, the lot of ye. We were peaceful, prosperous, happy, and content till that eldest maid o' Odin came and filled our minds with her rot. She make us think ourselves be grander than we be and make us wish for things that ought never be ours. She used us as her carrion fodder and we let her because we let our vanity speak fer us. Mayhaps it be our rightful reward to be as we are-starving and a'dying away. I dunna. I be no prophet nor mage but a man o' sword and trade."

Loki sat upright and stared into the deep green eyes of the giant Jotun to search out if truth or lies lay beneath. He felt in his bones the Jotun was honest, but he could not easily believe the tales his words spun. Still-his curiosity chewed on him and he needed to know.

"What do you know of Hela?" Loki asked hesitantly, fearful to display his ignorance and provide the Jotun with more fodder for his dislike of Odin's management of his children.

"What ye wish to know?" Skadmire asked dubiously. He raised one eyebrow which made the blue ink designs on his head wrinkle into folds.

"Whatever you can tell me," Loki replied.

"Aye. Well, that be a dark tale fer the bards to weave. Our people, we call her the 'Death Bringer' fer all she gave us. I fought in the Ice War meself in me younger days, ye see, but I were there when the cursed wench of the Aesir king came and stole our livelihood and blamed us for the actions of his own house. Many a Jotun wife were trapped on Asgard, forced to deny her own kin and not allowed to return home after the war. As if it were the fault of the maid she were sought by the little men for her great beauty! There be no great feelings of warmth to Odin's firstborn, though queen of Jotunheim she may have been."

"How did she become queen of Jotunheim?" Loki asked.

"Well, that was in the days when Thrym ruled the blessed plains of the Jotnar. The princess Hela, fer long days, she fought fiercer than a rabid icehound and were the All-Father's right hand as he closed it ever tighter around the realms. Though to Hela, nine were too small a number. Rumors said grew right unhappy with the decisions o'the All-Father and were acting up a bit.

"King Thrym were not the wisest o' his line, though his arm were strong enough to best his rivals for the throne in Utgard. After giving Odin Laufey's sister, Jord, fer first wife, and after so many other Jotun maids were a'taken by Aesir to wife, Thrym got it into his thick head to do likewise. He made request fer Asgard to send him an Aesir to wife. He worded it nicely-same ways the All-Father's father had when he arranged for Jord to be sent for Odin. He asked for Lady Freya, as she had a reputation as quite the beauty, but she were already married. Odin sent Hela instead and she were none too happy about the arrangement. Odin thought being forced to be wife and mother might teach her a thing or two, cool her hot head, and force a new set of priorities into the young warrioress.

"She were as wifely and motherly as an ice sword, that one, and never showed no signs o'child. They said she could drink as much as ten men and eat as much a full ox herself and her eyes were fierce enough to set a man's knees right to shakin'. The Jotnar soon felt the All-Father sent a son as wife instead o' a maid fer all her wildness, ambition, and thirst fer blood.

"She were as hard as diamond to Thrym at first, but that changed soon. When she saw how easy he were to put a'thoughts in his head, the power of the Casket of Ancient Winters, and the strength of the Jotnar, she changed her mind and were right sweet to the king.

"Then she used that poisoned tongue o' hers to fill Thrym's mind with all sorts of bosh. She killed off nearly all his council that opposed her without him knowing she were doing it and she replaced them all with her own she liked a'better. Soon, she were developing armies and weapons and making big plans that no Jotnar in their right mind would ever thought were good. But she spun such tales fer us, we all were blinded. 'The Jotnar could be greater than Asgard,' she said. 'The Jotnar should rule the Nine and beyond,' she said. And her words ringed true to some.

"Fer those who didna need to be grand and bold, she made a'feared. 'Those Aesir, they canna be trusted,' she said. 'Ther men be faithless and witho' honor, their women deceptive and heartless. The Aesir be out to steal all yer women and starve out yer babes and take yer relics and ye need to protect yerselves from them,' she said. 'They will corrupt yer blood if ye wed ther kind. Ye need to treat them as they treat us-witho' heart or care, as if we be the crown of Yggdrasil ourselves.'

"So, she turned our peace-loving folk into her own personal army and led us into Midgard to disturb the peace of others. She sought out some fancy relics the All-Father had hidden on Midgard (why he couldna keep them in Asgard's own vaults, I couldna tell ye. Mighty irresponsible if ye ask me), but so he did and so we went. She said we could have Midgard-the crossroads of the realms-as our own. It wer to be our space to grow in and rule as was our 'fate' and 'birthright'-and she would take the relics as her own as she moved on to conquer the other realms.

"She made her uncle, Laufey, her general and sent him a'plundering. They stole food and farms, women and livestock, and behaved in such a way as woulda made our mothers' blush and disown our very memory if they were to hear of it fer that not be the way of honor fer our kind.

"I hadna doubt she woulda found her relics the way she set out a'plundering, but then the All-Father surprised us. Left his own realm during their birthin' time, his own babe a'struggling to live, his first wife barely set adrift down those falls as yer kind are a'like to, and came to defend the little mortals and their realm and fight his own daughter.

"He chased us back to Jotunheim and ther army paid a heavy price that were felt for seasons after and they were none to happy about it. The fighting were fierce and none knew who would be victor until some Aesir took Laufey prisoner outside Utgard.

"Hela, convinced she could still win, wished fer more dark magic. It were long whispered about that she were known to have a fondness fer the darkest of magic. She said it gave her unstoppable strength and power. We said it corrupted her heart and went to her head and made her reek of death itself.

"Well, none could stop her. Up till then, she had used captured Midgardians as blood sacrifices before the battles to give her the power she required. Now, away from Midgard, she decided she needed stronger sacrifices still. What could be stronger than the only Midgardian-Jotun babe known in existence? The power of two realms flowed through this babe, not to mention the strength of the magic in Laufey's line. So, she sent soldiers to take the babe from Laufey's wife who was attending to it and put it in the temple for her to come for to spill his blood fer the magic such an abomination of a sacrifice would grant her.

"Before she could reach the temple, Odin's forces captured her and the Casket, and it were all over. There were no way to win. While they were a' searching fer more of ther injured kin around Utgard, the All-Father come across the wee babe in the temple and took the babe home with him. Laufey, when he found out, were right mad. Though his wife were right glad. She nearly had his testicles sawn off when she found out he took a mortal maid a'bed. It is not our way, ye see, to be casting seed here and there and taking wives as one takes livestock. Ye take one and she take ye and not like those good fer nothing philandering little men ye find on Asgard and Vanaheim.

"Well, Odin placed Laufey on the throne and told him to 'forget it all' and that he took none too kindly too that. Utgard lay in ruins, funeral pyres lit each home, our source o' power and food were in his hands, and all fer what? The greed and pretty words o' his daughter. Then those Aesir blame us fer it all and cast us as villains! And then Odin tell Laufey not to speak o' his own beloved sister, the All-Father's first wife and mother o' Hela. Well, it not be our way to so dishonor the memory of kin and the dead. The Jotnar, we face our problems, we dunna run from them or hide them away in dark vaults. No, Laufey were a right scoundrel at times, but he had right honor when it came to his kin. He got into a mighty quarrel with the All-Father and they refused to speak since. It were made right worse when Odin refused to return Laufey's halfling son."

"Odin said I was a runt and so Laufey left me in the temple to die," Loki answered after a few quiet moment's pause.

The Jotun laughed a full belly laugh until tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Aye. Tis true! Tis true! Just as surely as Thor and Hela were runts next to a full Jotun babe! As if the union of two Jotnar could produce such tiny, weakling babes! Tis only the halflings that are born so small and our kind wouldna abandon a babe to the elements. Even in the darkest of winters, and the starving times, it were not possible to do. As if Laufey woulda left his own kin, even at behest o' his wife!

"No, that were Hela, darkest of souls, mistress of death. She courted death like some court a maid, finding her power in taking lives o'others. They say it's the Aesir blood that does it. There is dark magic in that realm that makes the inhabitants mad and corrupt. All the good parts come from the Jotnar, as it should be. Look at yer first wife…."

"What do you know of Angrboda?" Loki asked.

"I knew the one who bore her dame. The Lady Skadi were a niece to me. When Njord, that Vanir chieftain, first set his eyes upon her, he set all his mind on having her. They say the jealousy of the Vanir and Aesir be a worst disease than all that beset the body. He would stop at nothing till he convinced her to be wife. Skadi despised the climate of Njord's home and he disliked that of the Jotnar and that be only the first of their many quarrels. The marriage lasted only a few centuries, but Skadi bore Njord a daughter who were so fine to look at, the king of Vanaheim himself were right taken with her.

"Skadi were right furious when she found out her precious only babe were one o' a whole palace o' wives. Njord tried to say it was the way o' the Vanir royals, but it proved too much and she left in disgust to go back to the more decent folk of her own kin. Then the Ice War happened and it all got muddled and she were no more able to visit her princess daughter. They say she died o' a broken heart after that.

"When Angrboda, granddaughter of Skadi, were born and married, Njord were right proud. His pride grew when she were taken as wife to the Aesir royal house. His pride were short-lived, they say, fer the Aesir, they spoiled Angrboda themselves with all their hatred towards the Jotun, telling her she were not worthy and she were wrong because she were a quarter Jotun till she went right crazy with it all. As if the house of Odin didna have more Jotun blood than she!"

"We didn't know," Loki whispered and shook his head. "We never knew."

"Ye were no help. Did ye speak for her? Tell the others her blood were no problem? Ye despised her blood with the rest of them and let her go mad with the lies. How could she thrive when she thought her very blood were wrong? How could she ever do right when any little thing she did wrong were blamed on her blood and she were 'naturally wrong' in their eyes? That be enough to drive the strongest mad with grief and pain and self-doubt. As if mixed blood be a weakness and not a strength!"

Skadmire gave Loki a piercing stare that clearly demonstrated his disapproval before he shook his head and continued speaking.

"The Jotnar be right confused by all that fer we know that when the blood of two realms mix, the babes wield the strengths o' the magic of both realms. Look at ye and ye kin. Those of Aesir blood have the strength o' ther warriors in them, but it's the magic o' the Jotnar that they be known fer. Why else could Thor call lightning or Hela wield death? Then there be ye. Yer size and yer weak muscle may be the fault o' the Midgard dame who bore ye, but yer sorcery, that be Jotnar. The tales, they say ye can change shape like some change robes. Is there truth in the tales?"

Loki nodded slowly.

"Aye. See. Midgard's magic has long been known to be how well their lands can change. As their lands have all the climates of the other realms, so the creatures have the magic o' change in their blood. You have their strength of change in ye.

"As I were saying, in the tale of Hela, after the defeat in Utgard, all changed. The Jotnar lost all that were truly valued and we were fool enough to bring it upon ourselves. The casket were our life source. Our very survival. It amplified the power in our realm and channeled it through our underground caverns, enabling us to grow crops, keep our young warm, and powering our above ground cities. Without it, we must dwell in our underground caverns, we canna grow crops, and we canna warm our young. We are dying slowly by slowly. The Jotun will be no more in the next millennium as the rate which we be dying.

"We couldna help but rejoice though when the All-Father captured Hela. He sent her straight to Helheim and none of us coulda believed it. Aesir princess, Jotun queen, heir of the Nine - banished like a common criminal and sent to live with the other prisoners? That's how we knew the All-Father were right mad.

"Now they say Hela lives on in Helheim, forcing the other prisoners into her new army, biding her time till her banishment ends when she will return to seek her own revenge upon Asgard and all others in her path. They say she has a new suitor. She whispers honey lies into his ear, as she did to Thrym, to make him do her bidding. She wishes fer all the relics, the Stones, and while she may not leave Helheim yet, she sends her suitor throughout the realms to gather dark magic and power of the Stones fer her. They say when all be complete, she wishes to take her place to rule not only the Nine, but beyond."

"Thanos," Loki said.

"Aye, that's the one. They say he were quite taken with her and she were right pleased with him. He were already like to stir up war to, as he says, 'bring balance.' She donna care so much fer balance as she thrives on the dark magic unleashed by blood sacrifices. The Mad Titan's desire fer 'balance' is convenient and it sates her thirst fer blood. So she encourages him to do it more and more."

"And she is the one who wishes for the Infinity Stones?" Loki asked.

"I canna say fer sure. The tales I have heard say she dunna care as much fer the relics as the effects the relics can produce. She wishes to rule and if they help her rule, they serve their purpose, just as the Mad Titan serves her purpose as he be."

Skadmire picked up his knife and began to sharpen the edge again. He pulled its blade across a stick to test its edge and sharpened some more. He fell into deep thought before his deep voice broke the silence again.

"They say those who wield dark magic will eat of its fruit. We, the Jotnar, canna blame anyone but ourselves. We believed Hela's honeyed lies, we thought erselves so high and mighty. We challenged fate and achieved exactly what we feared. We forged our own destruction. They say the dark magic works like that. Ye eat of it today and pay fer it tomorrow and the actions of the leader are paid fer by the whole people. Just look at ye. Yer attempted sacrifice came back upon our heads ten times over and this generation's children paid for those who were not treasured the last. Ye brought yer revenge upon both the realms that gave you up to the knife, whether ye knew it or not. Whether they knew it or note. The Norns knew and so orchestrated for us all to pay in full fer the misdeeds we allowed."

Seeing the expression on Loki's face, Skadmire gave a mirthless chuckle and used his knife to strip the bark off a piece of wood with so much vehemence, he cracked the wood. He threw it to the side of the room and spoke again without looking at Loki.

"Aye, I know who ye be. I were there when ye gave yer first cry on Midgard and I were there when our thrice cursed queen called fer yer small self to sacrifice in the temple. And I paid fer it all. Ye took the lives o' me wife and kin when ye unleashed the bifrost on us. I be trapped on Xander fer a good length o'time, unable to return due to Odin's ban on Jotnar a' traveling around like we used to, unable to light the funeral pyres with me kin."

Loki inhaled sharply as the Jotun spoke and his eyes sought to land on anywhere except the grief-stricken, angry face of Skadmire. He finally determined to stare at the tapestry across the way instead.

"Why?" Loki asked. "Why did you not leave me to my fate, if you knew who I am and what I had done?"

Skadmire sighed. "I wished to skewer you meself at first, I canna deny it. But didna ye hear me tale? I have no wish to eat o' the fruit o' that. If I were to take ye life, my own life I would take, even if not fer years to come. The lands o' me people have suffered enough through quests fer power and revenge and fear. I dunna want to see more o' that. Sometimes, the greatest revenge to heap upon me enemy is food, drink, care, and kindness where it is not wished fer or wanted, but it be me own life I save in so doing."

Loki shook his head. "I do not understand," he said.

"Be that as it may, it changes nothing," Skadmire said. "Now, you sleep, princeling, and gain yer strength back. Ye have yer own battles to face in the morrows to come."

ooooo

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_Yeah, so Hela in this story veers a bit from the MCU….but I guess quite a few things in this story are outside of the realms of the MCU. You may notice from here on into the next few chapters, I am reorganizing the timeline for the Guardians movies and Infinity Wars events. My logic being that the events in this story have forced Thanos to act a bit sooner than he does in the MCU timeline._


	35. Chapter 35: Failure

**SHADOW OF DEATH**

* * *

**Chapter 35: Failure**

* * *

As a king and as a man, T'Chaka carried many regrets on his aged shoulders. Too often, the duties to the throne came at a heavy cost, but none as heavy as the cost of his half-brother, N'Jobu. This was not the first time he looked back on that day with bitter regret and self-doubt. Now, as T'Chaka sat in the oppressive silence of the SHIELD prison cell, he had little else he could do but consider the costs of that day.

Ayo, the one Dora Milaje warrior granted as a concession to guard the king outside his cell in the Netherlands, stood stoically outside his door. She was not permitted to speak unless a SHIELD agent granted her an audience and all their interactions were closely monitored by the king's captors. Her role was simply to ensure the safety of her monarch during the investigation into Wakanda's role in the Fall-an investigation that could hardly reveal the truth as the very Pillars of Wakanda kept T'Chaka from speaking outloud in his own defense.

It had been three weeks after the _mgeni_ left that the false border of Wakanda received fifty SHIELD soldiers, Director Nick Fury, and the fully grown son of T'Chaka's dead brother. They came not to seek information (for they were convinced they knew enough already), but to bring accusations and swift punishment on the nation they accused of "orchestrating the Fall" and "knowingly harboring and colluding with Earth's greatest enemy." This enemy was the one they deemed "solely responsible for the destruction of New York and subsequent upheaval across the planet."

As the questions and accusations outgrew T'Chaka's ability to answer in truth and maintain his bastion of secrets, he knew what the inevitable outcome would be. Still, as he looked upon the strong, angry shoulders of his brother's only son, T'Chaka's regrets were those of the man more than the king. He wondered, not for the first time, if he had made the right decision.

The times of N'Jobu's betrayal of the Pillars came during dark days for Wakanda. Uganda, southern Sudan, Rwanda, and the DRC were all beset by rebel armies (even as they harbored the rebels of their neighbors). Blood watered the soils as much as the seasonal rains and the turning of the Cold War in the northern countries of Europe meant their proxy wars in Africa were no longer of as much value. The Derg in Ethiopia crumbled first, tumbling neighboring Somalia into Civil War. The American support for the kleptocratic dictatorship of Mobutu in the DRC slowly withdrew, leaving the entire Great Lakes region ripe for reaping the violence that had been sown and carefully kindled for decades. Parasitic leaders (allowed and encouraged by Western political aspirations) ruled with iron fists, hungry pockets, and trigger-happy fingers surrounded Wakanda on all sides. Wakanda remained an island surrounded entirely by an ocean of petrol, ready for the match that would set the heart of the continent on fire and leave Wakanda scorched along with all the rest.

During those days in Wakanda, some of the younger, more ambitious, more idealistic politicians felt it their duty to "step in and assist their neighbors." Their well-intentioned and short-sighted aspirations only grew louder after the metaphorical "match" was lit and bloody wars exploded around them. The refugees became more plentiful than gazelle, weapons easier to obtain than safe passage, and all spoke in fearful whispers of the horrors which floated across the lakes and rivers and kept the crocodiles well-fed. The elders, those who clung to tradition and the Pillars and kept a long view of history, said this too would pass. They warned the younger generation that if Wakanda revealed their secrets, they could never recover and it would be Wakanda that the vultures of the world would descend upon next.

There were no words for how suffocated T'Chaka felt by the conflicts both within his own country and without. N'Jobu's betrayal of the most sacred Pillars, even if conducted with an intent to bring aid to others, was still a keen and piercing pain in the midst of so many other struggles. T'Chaka could not afford entanglement in more international conflicts and "struggles" for independence. Yet, the cost of his brother's life still felt too high a price and he had never hated the throne as much as he had that day.

He knew, as much as he knew is own name, that he would now pay that price with his own head. He had seen it in his nephew's eyes and the proud, vengeful cast of his shoulders. Erik Stevens, N'Jadaka, son of N'Jobu, or "Killmonger" as he called himself, came for blood. He would not leave until he made his own legitimate claim upon the Wakandan throne and forced Wakanda to pay for the death of his father. Killmonger came to finish what his father started and T'Chaka's flickering life was all that stood in his way. Whether by surprise attack or official decree, Wakanda's monarch would not be returning to the throne and, most likely, would not see the end of this year.

T'Chaka could only pray that his children did not pay for his mistakes with their heads as well as his own. As soon as the General requested his presence at their false capital to "speak with their visitors," T'Chaka had known he needed to send Shuri away. T'Challa, as next in line for the throne, would need to remain and fight his own battles on behalf of the country, but Shuri, her research, and her entourage of _wageni, _would only incriminate Wakanda further and put more lives at risk. The last thing Wakanda needed was for SHIELD to find evidence of extra-terrestrials, formerly mind-controlled and supernaturally enhanced soldiers and scientists, or blue prints for a bifrost in their labs and in their city.

T'Chaka gave the princess an hour to gather herself and escape through the secret tunnels to seek refuge from the Jabari. It was at crises like that that T'Chaka appreciated the stance the Jabari had taken in refusing all technology and outside influence on their way of life. No technology could trace them in the highlands there and they could hide in safety as they waited and watched.

As his nephew forced his way past their gates and into the secret heart of Birnin Zana as a "representative of SHIELD," T'Chaka knew how many of their secrets were still safe in Shuri's care, outside the reach of curious eyes. She would not share her research with the outside world and as long as Shuri remained safe, so would Wakanda.

ooooooo

* * *

Skadmire burst through the door of his underground home with a look of fierce determination on his blue-armored face. He began to thrown his belongings into a chest without so much as a word to where Loki sat at on a chair with a book in his lap. Loki raised an eyebrow and watched in indifferent curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Loki asked.

"Leaving," Skamire responded. "Now."

Loki stood slowly and closed his book. He waved his hand over it and vanished it into his storage. He had to admit he was slightly impressed when he saw Skadmire perform the same spell on his chest of belongings. It vanished with a tingle of magic in the air and Skadmire turned fierce, red eyes onto Loki.

"He's here," Skadmire said gravely.

"Who?" Loki asked, concern beginning to bloom in his chest.

"The Mad Titan. I just had it meself from a communication in the town center. The capital is under attack. The Nova Corps vault be a'burning. Ye know what they held there, aye?"

Loki nodded, his throat suddenly constricting at the thought of his close proximity to his former master.

"He will kill at least half of all life here," Loki said.

"Aye. That be why I'm a'packing," Skadmire said. "Mayhaps we can reach the ships in the next town over before it come to that."

Loki shook his head. "I know another way," he said. "Come with me to Midgard. From there, you can return to Jotunheim. I swear it."

Skadmire gave a hesitant nod and rose to follow Loki out the door.

Ooooo

Loki led Skadmire behind the village to a corner of the land sheltered both by a tall, overhanging rock face and a little clump of trees. Wary eyes scanned the sky overhead, fearing the dark shapes and explosions they knew would come.

Loki materialized the Ice Casket in his arms and began to prepare for their journey. Skadmire's silent appraisal of both the Ice Casket in Loki's hand and the blue shell coating his body left Loki feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

The return journey took decidedly less time since he was now more familiar with the intricacies of the Casket. He had misjudged his final leg and was a bit far from his intended final destination on Midgard. By all appearances, perhaps a days' walk from Birnin Zana. It would be easy enough to remedy that.

With another quick slip through space and time, he and the Jotun arrived just outside the secret tunnel into Birnin Zana's palace.

"This be a different Midgard than me eyes have seen before," Skadmire remarked as he took in his surroundings.

"We are in the center, where the Midgardian sun's rays hit the most evenly during all seasons," Loki replied as he attempted to open the tunnel into the city. To his dismay, the code to enter the tunnel failed him. Instead, it triggered an alternate message and a projection of a rushed, and rather frantic, Shuri materialized in front of him. Seeing her face, Loki grew concerned.

"Prince, if you return, seek us out," her image said. "There is trouble here. We have to flee to safety. They've taken Baba. They think you are behind it all and that we have aided you…eh, they are correct if I phrase it so but the way they put it, it does not sound nearly so well. Do not enter Birnin Zana or make your presence known until you find me."

The transmission flickered and evaporated, leaving Loki speechless and staring at where her image had just been.

"Trouble a'brewin' on Midgard?" Skadmire asked.

"So it would seem. I may need to delay our journey to Jotunheim for another day or two," Loki said.

"I be closer to home now than I be for long and I am away from the Mad Titan, for now. Let us do what needs be," Skadmire answered with a slight nod of his head. Against the emerald green forest behind him, the towering blue figure appeared all the more out-of-place and Loki cringed. How could he not bring attention to them while travelling with a Frost Giant in-tow? For the first time, Loki paused to appreciate his own mediocre height in comparison to Skadmire.

"Would it be possible for you to remove your armor for a time?" Loki asked over his shoulder as he turned to walk back the way they had come.

"What fer?"

"Your height will gain you more attention than we need, but if you are blue, I am afraid you may terrify the little natives who are not used to mingling with the peoples of other realms."

"Aye," Skadmire said. The bright blue armor evaporated and left only the pale, tattooed skin beneath. With a wave of his hand, Skadmire conjured a light robe which he used to cover his exposed chest and most of his head and legs. While still a formidable, striking figure, he was less ostentatious and Loki nodded his approval of the change.

Before they walked two paces, they were stopped by an orange and white furred shape sitting serenely at the side of a tree, as if waiting for them. Skadmire gasped and jumped backwards, nearly succeeding in withdrawing his weapon before Loki motioned for him to calm himself.

"Skadmire, meet Goose. It is a companion of mine," Loki said. As he spoke, Goose hissed and turned its back on Loki in such a haughty motion that Skadmire turned a dubious sideways glance back at Loki.

"If that be a companion, then I be a bosom-brother," the giant said. "Since when did the folks o' Midgard gain such beasts?

"The flerkin is another exile, though I know not how it came to be trapped on this realm. It found me and has shadowed me worse than an einherjar bodyguard. I do not think Goose has forgiven me for leaving it behind when I traveled to Xander," Loki responded and he cautiously approached the flerkin, kneeling before it and reaching out his hand. He received a clawed swipe on his hand and another hiss.

Loki withdrew his hand and shook it out with a hiss and a muffled curse.

"Fine, hold onto your ill-will, beast," Loki muttered. "Are you able to take us to Princess Shuri?"

Goose rose to its feet, curled its tail around Loki's ankles and gave the prince an imperious and begrudging glare before it pranced off in the opposite direction. It stopped once to turn back and mew at them before leading the way again.

"We follow," Loki said and he pretended not to notice Skadmire's skeptical raised eyebrows and pursed lips in response.

The flerkin took them through a tunnel far outside the city that led them onto a tall mountain pass. Loki knew little of this terrain or destination, but he knew Skamdire would not begrudge how the climate cooled the farther they climbed.

"He will have obtained the Power Stone," Loki remarked, more to himself than to Skadmire.

"Those cursed Stones were a'never meant to be wielded by any of the realms," Skadmire replied angrily. "No finite being were meant to hold infinity in they hands. It's a'like trying to fit the oceans o'Midgard into a teapot. The Stones are meant to be left alone and do they work without bein' disturbed by the likes o'us. There always be a cost when they be used for a means they were not made for."

"I fear the cost will be paid by many across the realms if the Power Stone remains in Thanos' accursed grip," Loki said.

"Aye…and it would please the damnable queen of Helheim to have so much power within her grips…how be the health o'the All-Father?"

"I…I don't know," Loki stammered, unsettled by how he never considered Odin's life to really have an end. As the life of a parent to any child, Odin's life seemed infinite and he had never really paused to consider that it had both a beginning and an end. "I have not returned to Asgard…for some time."

Skadmire nodded solemnly. "We must send more prayers fer his health to continue," he said. "Or Thanos may be the least o'our worries."

The flerkin reached a narrow path that led them through a set of rocky caverns when the sound of footsteps reached them. The sound grew until they could clearly hear the footsteps belonged to more than a single set of feet. Soon, a party of five men clothed in furs and leather appeared. They carried heavy ebony _rungus_ in their hands. Their thick beards were dotted with specks of ice frozen from the condensation of their breath.

They halted in front of the three visitors, pounded their right fists against their chests, and chanted a chorus of barking grunts in greeting.

"Why have you come to Jabari?" one man asked.

"We seek the Princess Shuri of Wakanda," Loki said. The men nodded and turned to lead them the rest of the way through the caverns.

Oooooo

* * *

The hidden mountain passageway that opened into a large city, carved out of the ridges and crests of the mountain face itself. Snow covered the mountain's face and the rooftops of the inhabitants' homes. Skadmire gave a wide grin and paused to bury his hands in the snow.

"Midgard grows more lovely and welcoming by the moment," he said as he poured the snow over his head and into his robe. He removed his boots so he could walk barefoot and he gave a happy sigh as he did. Their guides did not hide their expressions of surprise as they watched and Loki clicked his tongue to encourage his companion to keep moving.

Goose, much less impressed by the change of climate, forgave Loki's transgressions to the extent that it now rode on Loki's shoulders. The flerkin still glared at the prince at each opportunity and, once or twice, sharpened its claws on the prince's head. The flerkin reconsidered its actions when it found itself chest deep in snow again. It chose to sheath its claws and maintain its warm feet for the remainder of their journey.

They were taken to a large room within an expansive brick house that they were told belonged to the chief. Within, they were immediately welcomed by a very exuberant welcome committee.

"You are here!" Shuri said as she grasped Loki's hand and gave him a broad, dimpled grin. "I have never been so happy to see an alien in my entire life!"

She looked as if she'd lived through five years of life in the month he had been away and his concern grew. He could see five Dora Milaje around the room and three King's Guards. The queen, the Winter Soldier, and Dr. Foster were all present in the room, but the king and prince were noticeably absent.

"Please meet Skadmire of the Eastern Glaciers of Jotunheim," Loki said as his companion stepped forward to give a solemn greeting to each occupant in the room in the fashion of the Jotnar. He bowed his head and placed his hand on his forehead as he met each. He stood so tall, his head brushed the low ceiling of the room.

Jane, when she came forward to greet Loki, disregarded all attempts of formality and nonchalance and threw her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you are ok," she said.

Loki awkwardly looked at his hands, wondering what he was expected to do, before giving her back a rigid pat and clearing his throat.

"You look like hell! What happened?" she asked when she pulled back enough to take his appearance in.

"It's a long story," Loki said.

She gave him a lengthy stare until he squared his shoulders and pursed his lips so tight he looked as if he were in pain.

"Fine. You were right," he began.

She raised one eye brow and waited for him to continue.

"I should not have attempted this journey alone. It was fool-hardy of me to go unaccompanied. I nearly paid for my foolishness with my own flesh."

"I have a feeling you don't admit wrongdoing very often," she replied.

"I have a feeling I do not ever admit wrongdoing-out loud."

"It looks good on you," she said with a wink. "You should wear it more often."

"Tell us, Prince, what news?" the queen asked after introductions and a quick meal were given. Loki sighed. He would not enjoy this part of their reunion.

"I failed," he began as he kept his eyes on Skadmire. "The Power Stone went into the hands of our enemy. I fear Midgard will be the first place he attacks."

"How bad do you think this is going to be?" Jane asked.

"The Power Stone can extinguish an entire planet five times the size of Midgard in the blink of an eye."

"Ok. So, bad."

"It will take time for Thanos to reach Midgard. However, I fear that when he comes, it will not end well. Thanos will seek to destroy Midgard in revenge for my protection of it, regardless of which realm I am upon."

"Too bad we destroyed the Time Stone already. We could have used it to take the Power Stone back," Jane said.

Loki rolled his eyes. "And who told me to destroy it immediately?"

"Yeah, yeah. So what now?"

"There remains the Reality Stone, which was supposedly destroyed by Thor's grandfather, and the Soul Stone, which no one knows the location of."

"But it wasn't destroyed…and someone does know the location of the other," Jane remarked, her eyes distant.

"I believe the best way to proceed is to return to Asgard, face the wrath of Odin, and speak with our gatekeeper. He may be able to determine the locations of these stones, as well as the movements of the Mad Titan. If I survive facing the All-Father, I can plead for the aid of Asgard in defense of Midgard and the rest of the Nine and warn him of the coming of Thanos."

"Sounds like a plan…but, Loki-what about Wakanda?" Jane asked.

"You will need to explain to me exactly what has transpired on Midgard in my absence," Loki responded with one eyebrow raised. Shuri blew out a long breath and leaned forward to take over the conversation.

"I will tell you, but it will be a long story," she said.

Ooooo


End file.
